Montana nips Indiana University-Indy in 1-0 match
(Montana Sports Information) Bayliss Flynn slept just fine last night, why do you ask?
Maybe because she was making her first start as a Grizzly, filling in for all-region goalkeeper Ashlyn Dvorak, who is out indefinitely with an injury, as Montana hosted IU Indianapolis on Sunday afternoon at South Campus Stadium?
Maybe because she spent the entirety of last season watching from the sideline as Dvorak put up historic numbers and did the same thing through the first five matches of this season?
But then Dvorak was injured in Thursday's 2-1 loss at Fresno State, though still playing through to the finish, turning the spotlight on Flynn, the only other goalkeeper on Montana's roster.
So, with all that resting on her shoulders and racing through her mind, how did she sleep last night?
"I actually slept well because of the confidence I have in the people in front of me," she said, probably meaning the Grizzlies' lock-down back line but on this day could have meant all 21 field players who saw minutes as Montana was dominant in a 1-0 victory over the Jaguars.
Montana out-shot IU Indy 31-2, with eight players taking multiple shots, the game-winner coming in the 16th minute when Maddie Ditta stripped a Jaguar of the ball and played it ahead to Jen Estes in space on the left side.
The fifth-year graduate student, a Princeton transfer, played a low, hard shot that scored inside the right post, her second goal in as many matches.
IU Indy was limited to two shots, one that was blocked 20 yards in front of goal, another that sailed wide left of goal. Flynn won her debut by shutout without having to make a single save.
"It's just being confident in the training I've been doing the past two years, and the support of the team has been crazy helpful," Flynn said. "I'm so grateful how good the people in front of me are."
If Flynn was the feel-good story and the win sent everyone home happy, it was the goals that were left unscored that were the post-match concern for coach Chris Citowicki.
"The performance was completely dominant but exceptionally poor when it came to scoring goals," he said.
"We can completely dominate somebody to the point where they can barely cross the midline. But we've got to put those games away."
Montana missed a first-half penalty kick, twice hit the post and once the crossbar. A game that could have been 3-0 or more had the tenseness of a one-goal match all the way to the finish line.
"Those have to go in the goal," Citowicki added. "We've still got some work to do early in the season but we are putting in great performances. We'll get back to work on Tuesday and off we go."
IU Indianapolis finished second in the Horizon League last season and was picked to finish second again this fall.
The Jaguars played well in Moscow on Thursday evening, falling 2-1 to Idaho while taking 12 shots and putting seven of those on goal.
That's what made the one-sidedness of Sunday's match so surprising. Montana took seven shots before the match was 10 minutes old and had a 21-1 advantage in shots at the half.
Maybe it was the result of losing both Dvorak and Mia Parkhurst, who suffered a season-ending injury against Fresno, on Thursday night.
The Grizzlies were dialed in and on the attack from the opening minute three days later.
"Honestly, I think it made us stronger and made us come together," said center back Reeve Borseth, who welcomed first-time starter Lucie Rokos to the back line in place of Parkhurst at outside back.
"Injuries are concerning but we know we have so much depth and know Bayliss and Lucie have been working hard where they're able to step up the plate."