UM Sports

The Griz soccer team turned an unbeaten finish at the Montana Invitational over the weekend into a pair of Big Sky Conference Player of the Week awards on Tuesday. Hallie Widner was named Offensive Player of the Week after scoring the game-winner against the Catamounts on Friday in the 90th minute. The fifth-year senior was named the league's Offensive Player of the Week once as a freshman in 2014 and again as a sophomore in 2016.

The Montana Grizzlies have climbed the national rankings following Saturday's 26-23 upset win over No. 13 Northern Iowa in Missoula. UM jumped from No. 24 to No. 14 in the STATS FCS Media Poll, and from No. 25 to No. 16 in the AFCA FCS Coaches' Poll.  

Montana junior linebacker Dante Olson made the most of his first start as a Grizzly, making big play after big play against the 13th-ranked Northern Iowa Panthers. He was also an honorable mention for the STATS FCS National Defensive Player of the Week. 

UM executed to near perfection on both sides of the ball in the first half Saturday night, but a change at quarterback spurred on a second-half comeback for the Northern Iowa Panthers. With under three minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Dalton Sneed hit Samori Toure for a 13-yard gain on a third and one play to extend UM's final possession, and Montana walked away with the victory.

The Bobby Hauck Era 2.0 started off with a bang. Montana scored 26 first-half points and made enough plays down the stretch to hold off a pesky Northern Iowa squad, upsetting the No. 13 Panthers in front of 25,018 fans inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

The day started off strong for Montana, with the Grizzlies winning sets 1 and 2 decidedly. Montana held Gonzaga to .138 hitting and out-blocked the Bulldogs, 8.0 to 1.0, and had five service aces to the Bulldogs' two.

When Griz fans descend on Washington-Grizzly Stadium for the home opener on Saturday evening, university officials will be working to ensure a safe atmosphere for all with enhanced security measures. In addition to the standard safety procedures, which include visual bag checks, security personnel will be performing screenings using metal-detecting wands at all gates.

Bobby Hauck and the Griz will take the field at Washington-Grizzly Stadium this Saturday night to begin the 2018 season against ranked opponent Northern Iowa. The opener marks Hauck's second act with the University of Montana football team.

The Montana Grizzlies returned to the practice field on a soggy Monday afternoon, with steady rain pouring down during the entire duration of the two-hour session. Like many Montanans, the rain was a welcome sight for the Griz, who have battled through near record-breaking heat for most days of fall camp thus far. But they didn't let it slow them down.

For the first time in over a decade, Montana legend Dave Dickenson will return to Missoula for a Grizzly football game when the University of Montana and the National Football Foundation (NFF) celebrate his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.