Griz soccer wins shootout, claims Big Sky championship
The Big Sky Championship MVP stonewalled Weber State's first penalty kick, then surprised nearly everyone in the record, sellout crowd of more than 2,200 by stepping up and taking Montana's first penalty kick. She drilled it down the middle, right by Weber State's diving goalkeeper, and the Grizzlies were on their way to their eighth Big Sky tournament championship.
Montana won the shootout 4-2, the Grizzlies going a perfect 4-for-4 on their tries off the feet of Dvorak, a one-armed Chloe Seelhoff, Caylee Kerr and finally freshman Maycen Slater, who sent Montana to its seventh NCAA tournament, its fourth under eighth-year coach Chris Citowicki, whose team won a shootout in the semifinals as well, 3-1 over Idaho.
"We were so prepared for penalty kicks. There was so much less tension than the last time we did it. Having Ashlyn in goal gives you the upper-hand, then having this crowd and they have to take penalty kicks in that setting with those people behind the goal, it was awesome," said Citowicki, whose team was honored on the field at Saturday's football game, celebrating the Grizzlies' regular-season title.
The reaction from 25,000-plus gave Citowicki a hint of what might be coming on Sunday. It started at noon, when an initial rush of fans flooded the grandstand when the gates first opened to claim the best seats. That portion of the facility was full 20 minutes before kickoff, the rest of the fans spilling onto the sidelines and behind the south goal, easily breaking the previous record set against Ohio State in 2023.
The Buckeyes were a draw, but Sunday had something else that Missoula goes even more gaga for: a championship was on the line.
"Absolutely incredible, and I expect nothing less from Missoula," said Citowicki. "When we walked on the football field yesterday, the noise that came out of them, I thought, (South Campus Stadium) is going to blow up tomorrow. That's what happened today."
The official attendance of 2,227 was treated to a match worthy of its championship status, the Big Sky's top two teams going back and forth, a match filled more with near misses than goals, which only added to the suspense as the first half turned into the second half, which led to overtime No. 1, then overtime No. 2.
Weber State out-shot Montana 13-12, took six corner kicks to the Grizzlies' four, the numbers as close as the final seconds of the second overtime, when Tenzi Knowles' roller of a shot crossed the goal line one second after the buzzer had sounded, bringing back memories of Friday afternoon, when Idaho sent that match to overtime with a goal with eight seconds left in regulation.
"We had chances, they had chances," said Citowicki. "They had one that almost crossed the line at the end, (Maddie) Ditta hit the crossbar. Just a great game that went back and forth, which is what you'd want out of a final. As much as I hate it as a coach, from a neutral perspective, for it to be going back and forth, pretty entertaining."
It was Ditta who took five of Montana's 12 shots while playing all 110 minutes in one of the most inspiring individual performances the hallowed ground of South Campus Stadium has ever witnessed. The midfielder did a bit of everything, from the air to the ground, her post-match jersey dirty and clinging to her like a badge of honor.
"I knew this was my last game playing on this field, so I wanted to give it my all," Ditta said. "I always give it my all, but this was extra special to play for a championship. There was nothing more I could have left on that field."