MISSOULA — Expectations every year are high for the Montana soccer program, but this year's non-conference slate provided plenty of early challenges.
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Fast forward to today, and the program is red hot, playing some of its best soccer ever.
"At the start of the season, the majority of the teams that we just played finished above us in the RPI (rating percentage index) last year, so they were better than us," UM head coach Chris Citowicki said. "It was one of the most difficult schedules we had put together yet for nonconference. So to be 6-2-1, I still don't know what to say about it. I'm pretty pleased."
Entering 2025 as the preseason favorite in the Big Sky Conference, Montana began the season in mid-August with a dominant win over Southern Utah, but what followed was a tie to Seattle and two losses against Baylor and Boise State, as injuries hit the team and as it worked through early adversity.
"Our loss on the road against Boise was a wake-up call that we needed," Griz goalkeeper Ashlyn Dvorak said. "Losses suck and nobody likes to lose, but we needed to have that to knock us down so we could get back up and be stronger as a team and as a unit.
"I think that we're just in a really good spot moving forward and we just need to keep striving for success."
Since then the Grizzlies have won five straight games where they've outscored opponents 13-1.
Included in that was a blowout 4-0 win over Gonzaga last Thursday, followed by the program's first win over Washington State since 2004 on Sunday to close out non-league play. UM has also beaten Nevada, UC Davis and Montana State Billings during that stretch.
"I think what's working is just trying to be ourselves, like never change anything going into a game," UM midfielder Ally Henrikson said. "We just are trying to be ourselves and play confidently and play with each other. So togetherness is huge and just remaining our identity.
"I think it's really just the togetherness of the team, whether you're playing, whether you're not. It's a resilient group."
The Grizzlies are getting help from a variety of players too, making it one large team effort.
Statistically, captains Chloe Seelhoff and Maddie Ditta are two of the Big Sky's leading goal scorers. Seelhoff has sent six goals home this season while Ditta has racked up five. Eliza Bentler has added a pair of goals including the game-winner's against UC Davis and Washington State, while Lydia Robertson, Lucie Rokos, Maycen Slater and Makena Smith have all scored as well.
Reagan Brisendine leads the team with three assists while Seelhoff has added a pair of those as well.
After missing most of last year due to injury, Dvorak is back in full force in front of the net and has the best save percentage in the conference while having allowed the least amount of goals as well. UM's defense has also been led by another captain in Henrikson, as well as the rest of the back line that has stonewalled opposing teams' offenses.
Now the Grizzlies turn the page to Big Sky beginning this week, as they embark on the biggest games and aim to keep this streaking momentum going. They begin at Northern Arizona on Thursday and return home against Northern Colorado on Sunday.
"We're definitely really excited. It's going to be a tough year this year," Bentler said. "Everyone's looking pretty good, but we've proved ourselves going into these big games, (against) big teams. So we're just going to work together and keep our heads, play together and hopefully we'll come out on top."
