|
|
|
September 2005
|
 |
Volume 2, Issue 1 |
|
|
Griz football eyes title run
The good news entering the 2005 season for The University of Montana Grizzlies is that they return 15 starters and 43 lettermen from last year's... MORE
UM volleyball sets sights high for 2005
It seemed innocuous enough at the time, Montana's 3-1 win over Idaho State last October. After going winless through the first half of the Big Sky Conference schedule, the Grizzlies rallied from a 1-0 hole to come back for a 3-1 victory over... MORE
Soccer squad seeks next step
In 2004 first-year head coach Neil Sedgwick inherited a Grizzly soccer squad that was coming off its worst regular season in program history... MORE
Young UM runners ready for 2005
The Montana men's and women's cross country teams will have one thing in common this season. Both will be led by a clear No. 1 runner, but the success of the teams will depend upon the pack of runners that follow.... MORE
|
 |
Arena floor gets upgrade
The basketball court at UM’s Adams Center was replaced in August by a brand-new permanent floor that covers the entire fieldhouse... MORE
Sedgwick becomes Ironman
In the June 1 issue of Grizzly Times, we asked Montana’s head coaches what their summer plans were. UM soccer coach Neil Sedgwick reported that he was intending to race at the 2005 Coeur d’Alene Ironman triathlon... MORE
The Big Five: 2005's can't-miss on-campus sporting
events
The 2005 season is upon us and the Grizzly Times took a look at the can't miss home sporting events of the fall season... MORE
A letter from Montana A.D. Jim O'Day
A monthly letter from UM's athletic director... MORE
UM Athletics announcements
Check out UM Athletics announcements... MORE
|
Griz football eyes title run
by Dave Guffey, UM Sports Information |
The good news entering the 2005 season for The University of Montana Grizzlies is that they return 15 starters and 43 lettermen from a 12-3 team that finished 6-1 en route to a co-Big Sky Conference championship, played for the Division I-AA national championship, and ranked second in The Sports Network’s final poll.
Last season Montana not only added to its record by advancing to the Division I-AA playoffs for the 12th season in a row, but it also played for the national title for the fifth time in the past 10 years.
The Grizzlies have now won or shared seven straight Big Sky championships and 10 in the past 12 seasons, dating back to 1993. UM reached another milestone a year ago by racking up its 19th straight winning season - a victory skein that started in 1986.
The Griz needed two blocked field goals to pull out key conference wins against Idaho State (24-22) and at Eastern Washington (31-28) last season, but they made an impressive run in the playoffs, defeating (in order) Northwestern State (56-7), New Hampshire (47-17), and Sam Houston State (34-13) on their way to the division’s championship game, which was a 31-21 setback versus James Madison in Chattanooga, in a contest that was unfortunately played on horrific field conditions.
Head coach Bobby Hauck |
A good portion of Montana’s quest for its third national title was watched by a national television audience. The Grizzlies home Division I-AA quarterfinal and semifinal contests were aired live on ESPN2, as was the “chipper” against James Madison. Portable lights were brought in by the NCAA for the Montana-New Hampshire quarterfinal game, making it the first night game in the 19-year history of Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
The bad news for the Grizzlies is that they need to replace prolific quarterback Craig Ochs, who passed for 3,807 yards and 33 touchdowns; their top three receivers; halfback Justin Green, who was a fifth-round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens, as well as many key players at defensive tackle and linebacker.
Once again the Griz had one of the top offenses in the country. Last season UM was 11th in passing (277.5 ypg), 12th in scoring (35.7 ppg), and 13th in total offense (427.7 ypg).
Other key losses offensively were All-American tackle Cory Procter, Jefferson Heidelberger, Levander Segars, and Tate Hancock – all three-year starters at wide receiver – and Green, a fifth-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens.
Defensively, the Griz must replace veteran starters John Cahill, Blake Horgan, and Jonny Varona at tackle, as well as starting linebackers Adam Hoge and Nick Vella.
Perhaps what makes the Grizzlies’ success a year ago even more impressive is that they played 10 “true” freshmen, as well as eight redshirt freshmen.
GRIZ OFFENSE
• Quarterback
The loss of Ochs as well as quality senior backup Jeff Disney cannot be underestimated. Ochs, who signed a free agent contract with the San Diego Chargers last spring, accounted for 33 of Montana’s 36 touchdown passes. He was not only an outstanding leader and passer, but was an adept scrambler as well.
Jason Washington |
Redshirt freshman Cole Bergquist and junior transfer Jason Washington ended spring drills in a head-to-head battle for the starting berth, and that competition carried over into fall camp.
“Losing Craig Ochs is a big blow to our football team,” said third-year head coach Bobby Hauck. “As I’ve said before, he’s the best quarterback I’ve been around. But, that’s the nature of college football. You graduate your seniors, and you find guys who can pick up the slack and that’s what needs to happen on offense.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean that we need our quarterbacks to replace Craig’s production, but we do need our entire offense to replace Craig Ochs’ production,” Hauck said.
“Bergquist and Washington are good solid players,” Hauck said. “The real question is how far can they come along from the first of August to the first of September during fall camp. I really like both of them as athletes. I think we tend to underestimate Cole’s ability to hurt you with his feet, and I think we tend to underestimate Jason’s ability to hurt you with his arm. Both are very versatile. I expect both of them to have productive years.”
Waiting in the wings is sophomore Drew Hedrick. New to the program is 6-3, 215-pound freshman recruit Clint Stapp.
• Running Back
The Grizzlies lost Green to graduation, but the cupboard is not bare with the return of Lex Hilliard, JR Waller and Brady Green.
Justin Green ended his prolific two-year career at Montana ranked sixth in school history with 1,784 yards. However, both Hilliard and Waller begin the season among UM’s career rush leaders.
Lex Hilliard |
Hilliard, a junior All-American candidate, rushed for 972 yards and tied UM’s single-season record with 17 touchdown runs. He was a first team All-Big Sky pick last year despite starting only four games. Hilliard’s 1,562 career rushing yards are the 11th most in school history.
Waller’s 262 yards and three touchdowns ranked him third on the team a year ago. His 1,280 career yards rank him 19th on the career list.
“Lex is a special player,” Hauck said. “He’s got a tremendous work ethic and is a tough, physical runner, and JR falls a lot into the same categories as Lex. Brady Green has worked his way up the depth chart, and he will have the ball in his hands. The running back position is a volatile one, and our young guys like Andrew Schmidt and our three incoming freshmen need to be ready to answer the call if needed.”
Brady Green rushed for 150 yards last year.
Also vying for playing time is hard-running redshirt freshman Andrew Schmidt. Promising frosh recruits Thomas Brooks-Fletcher, Jolly Righetti, and Brandon Utterback could also be in the mix.
• Offensive Line
Procter, who signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Lions last spring, will be difficult to replace, but because of numerous injuries last season, several young players were thrown into the mix and gained valuable playing time.
However, Montana also returns several upperclassmen with starting experience to go along with some of those talented freshmen and sophomores.
Brad Rhoades |
Senior honors candidate Brad Rhoades, an honorable mention all-conference pick last year, has started the past two seasons at both tackle and guard and will start at right tackle. Cody Balogh started UM’s final three games last season as a true freshman and will start at left tackle. Two promising redshirt freshmen, Kevin Bell and Dan Carter, will back up Rhoades and Balogh, respectively.
At guard, honors candidate Jason Frink along with fellow senior Chris Orwig return and will start at left and right guard, respectively. Providing quality depth at guard is junior Ryan Wells, sophomore lettermen Ryan Gustafson and Eric Michel, and redshirt freshman Colin Dow.
Junior honors candidate Jeff Marshall was a second team All-Big Sky pick at guard last season, and he will start at center, a position he started in eight games last season. Another talented youngster, redshirt freshman Trapper Hight, is the back-up at center.
“We finally feel like we’ve developed some depth on our offensive line,” Hauck said. “Two years ago we didn’t feel like we had too many players we could throw in there. It’s different from a year ago, in that we’ve got some returning starters.
“Early in the season last year we had a bunch of very inexperienced players on the offensive line, and it showed up when we tried to get our running game going,” Hauck said, “but, they really came on as the season did, thus our offense came along too. By the end of the season last year we were equally as efficient running and throwing the ball, and I expect our offensive line to have a good year.”
• Tight End/H-Back
The “big guy,” Willie Walden, a 6-7, 270-pounder, graduated and signed a free agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs last spring.
Ja'Ton Simpson |
However, senior Ja'Ton Simpson had an outstanding spring and starts the 2005 season as an honors candidate at this position. Simpson had five catches for 92 yards and a touchdown last season.
Jaison Carriger also had a very good spring and will contribute at the tight end position and on special teams. Senior Kyler Noel is a solid player at this position as well.
“Ja’Ton and Jaison both had terrific off-seasons,” Hauck said. “Depending on how fall camp goes, we will determine how big a part of our offense the tight end will play, and I expect that to be substantial. They are both playing the best football of their careers, and they’ll both be on the field making plays for us this fall.”
• Wide Receiver
As mentioned earlier, the Griz lost their three top receivers to graduation.
“Experience at this position is a concern going into the season,” Hauck said. “We could talk at length about the positions on our football team that don’t have a lot of experience, but, I think we’ll continue to grow as the season evolves. The wide receiver position could be a strength for us. We just need to continue to progress in the right direction. That group, led by senior Jon Talmage, is going to be very competent before all is said and done.”
Jon Talmage |
Talmage had 55 catches for 819 yards and nine touchdowns last season. The only other wide receiver returning who had a catch is sophomore Ryan Bagley, who had two receptions last season and played as a true freshman. Bagley also ended spring drills as a starter.
Eric Allen, a sophomore transfer from Oklahoma State, showed great promise in the spring and will start.
Redshirt freshmen Mike Ferriter, Rob Schulte, and Matt Troxel should all play integral roles at receiver, despite their youth. Sophomore Brandon Dwyer is also vying for playing time.
“There is a lot of potential there,” Hauck said, “and we need to bring it out of them. Jon’s the lone veteran in the group. He’s a senior and everyone else on the depth chart is either a freshman or a sophomore. That’s a big question mark going into the season, but we like the players who are in that group, and we think they’ve got a chance to produce a lot of yards and points for us.”
GRIZ DEFENSE
• Defensive End
The Griz have a dynamic trio returning at defensive end in senior Lance Spencer, a four-year starter, junior All-American Mike Murphy, and junior honors candidate Dustin Dlouhy.
Spencer has been bitten by the injury bug the past couple of years but returned to action in the spring. Murphy was recovering from off-season surgery and did not participate in spring football, but he’s expected to be at full strength in time for fall camp.
Lance Spencer |
Spencer begins his senior year ranked among Montana’s all-time leaders in sacks (sixth with 17.5) and tackles for losses (tied for eighth with 23.5).
In just two seasons Murphy is tied with Spencer in stops for losses with 23.5, and he also has 14-plus sacks. Murphy was first team all-league last year, while Spencer was named to the second team. Murphy was named a second team All-American by Associated Press, and he had team-highs of 17 tackles for loss and 12 sacks.
Dlouhy was hampered with an injury midway through the year, but when he took over as the starter when Spencer was lost due to an injury, he came on strong.
Two of the youngsters Hauck was referring to earlier are Kroy Biermann (who was moved from linebacker to end) and Mike Stadnyk. Both played and contributed last season as true freshmen.
“This could be a very solid position for us,” Hauck said. “We’re deep there, we’re talented, and we have the ability to come off the ball and get after the passer. We also have the ability to play the run. The one big concern at defensive end is the injury problem we’ve had with the players in that group. Barring injury, this could be a big-time group of players for us.”
• Defensive Tackle
“The biggest question mark on our team is the defensive tackle spot,” Hauck said.
Seniors Cahill, Horgan and Varona started every game at one of UM’s two tackle positions last season and had a combined 94 career starts among them.
Alan Saenz |
Senior honors candidate Alan Saenz is the veteran in this group with 39 career games, but he only has one career start. Junior Kerry Mullan is the only other experienced player at tackle.
Sophomore Kelly Kain, and redshirt freshmen Jesse Carlson and Craig Mettler are expected to provide quality depth.
“Saenz is the only player with a lot of experience,” Hauck said. “We really need to have those guys ready to go to battle this fall. That group needs to be ready to fight through a long season, and frankly they need to control the line of scrimmage. I think that we are capable in there, but we’re just not very experienced. We’re anxious to watch those guys get after it this season.”
• Linebacker
The now-graduated Hoge and Vella each started all 15 games a season ago, as did senior Shane MacIntyre. “Mac” was a first team All-Big Sky pick and finalist for the conference’s defensive player of the year award and had a team-high 94 tackles last season. MacIntyre missed spring drills after undergoing off-season surgery but is expected to be fully recovered in time for the start of fall camp.
There was a major youth movement at this position last year, with redshirt freshmen Kyle Ryan and Loren Utterback both seeing lots of playing time, as did “true” frosh Tyler Joyce. Those three young players were ranked among Montana’s leading tacklers a season ago and emerged as the starters after spring drills. However, MacIntyre has been moved from outside (“sam”) to inside linebacker (“mike”) and is the projected starter there, with Ryan backing him up.
Shane MacIntyre |
Sophomore Alex Hawthorne had a promising start last season but missed several games with a leg injury. Fellow sophomore Muckie Foreman made the move to outside linebacker for 2005. Redshirt freshmen Tyler Corwin, David Haile and Tom Martin could contribute as well.
“This group will be fast and athletic,” Hauck said. “They also have really good size. With Shane moving to the middle linebacker spot we’ve put some great athletes on the field at all three spots. It will be fun to watch those guys chase the football, watch them in pass coverage, and watch them blitz.”
• Secondary
Honors candidates Kevin Edwards, a senior, and Tuff Harris, a junior, had 24 starts between them last year, although true freshman Jimmy Wilson started six games at the “F” corner spot.
Edwards led the Big Sky and was nationally ranked with six interceptions and was a second team All-Big Sky pick. Harris was second (tied) on the squad with four picks in 2004 and started all 15 games.
Chris Clark started several games in the 2003 season and adds excellent depth at corner. Redshirt freshman Tim Parks will be hard to keep off the field if he’s recovered from an injury. Senior Chris Polhemus and sophomore Quinton Jackson also provide depth.
“The corner position looks like it could be very deep and also very young, with Kevin Edwards being the only senior starter,” Hauck said. “That’s a group that, as the season wore on last year, became productive. They increased their level of play this past spring. Assuming that we can stay healthy there and have everybody back for fall camp, we’ll have a good group of corners; maybe as good a group as we’ve ever had around here.”
Matt Lebsock |
The Griz also return both starters at safety in juniors (free) Matt Lebsock and (strong) Van Cooper Jr. Each of them started all 15 games a year ago. Lebsock and Cooper are the team’s fifth and third-ranked leading returning tacklers.
Young free safety Torrey Thomas had an outstanding season a year ago as a true freshman. Torrey had the ninth most tackles on the team with 49 and was tied for second with seven pass deflections.
Senior Tyler Thomas has played in 36 career games, has started at strong safety, and was fifth on the team with 58 tackles last year.
“This is a good group, and similar to the running back position, it’s a fairly volatile position, and you need to have depth there because it’s a high-speed, high-impact, collision position,” Hauck said. “I like the depth that we’ve got there.
“All of the players in that group bring a little something different to the table, which may lend itself to us playing against different offensive styles,” Hauck said. “You’ll see those guys on the field in nickel and dime situations. We may play five safeties in the game at the same time.”
• Kicker/Punter/Returners
Kicker Dan Carpenter was a second team All-Big Sky selection last season as a true freshman, while junior punter Tyson Johnson has been an all-conference honorable mention pick the past two seasons.
Carpenter converted 18-of-29 field goals and all 63 of his PAT attempts, while Johnson averaged 41.4 yards on 56 punt attempts, and nailed 15 inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
“We put a lot of emphasis on the kicking game,” Hauck said. “Our special teams have been very solid for us the past couple of years, if not better than that. We’ve had good success in our special team’s units — all six of them, whether it’s blocking kicks, or kicking field goals, or returning, or covering kicks. Our players play very hard in the kicking game. Dan Carpenter and Tyson Johnson give us a good chance to have a superior kicking game this season.”
Tyson Johnson |
The Griz need to find replacements for Heidelberger and Segars, who were two of the most productive and elusive return men in the Big Sky the past couple of seasons.
2005 SCHEDULE
Montana’s 2005 schedule is of the “Catch 22” variety, in that the Grizzlies play six of their first eight games at home in Washington-Grizzly Stadium, but their final three Big Sky games are all on the road.
• Non-Conference Schedule
The season begins at home over the Labor Day weekend against Fort Lewis College of Colorado. The opener is followed by a contest against the Oregon Ducks of the Pac-10 Conference in Eugene. The Griz return home on Sept. 17 to face a South Dakota State team that returns 16 starters. Montana has an open date on September 24.
“We have a very demanding non-conference schedule,” Hauck said. “It will test us early on. The fact that we have to play Oregon, a team that I think will be picked among the top two or three teams in the Pac-10 and probably a preseason top 25 pick, will be very difficult.
“Fort Lewis will bring a fired up team in here for our home opener, and they are looking to upset us,” Hauck said. “The same with South Dakota State, which has a very good program. And then we’ve got Cal Poly, which has something to prove because they won nine games last year and were left out of the (I-AA) playoffs.”
• Conference Schedule
After a week off, UM begins its conference slate, hosting its annual Homecoming game against the Weber State Wildcats with new head coach Ron McBride, a former mentor at Utah.
Then, after playing its only road game in the month of October (Oct. 8) against Idaho State, Montana returns home for three straight contests.
That three-game homestand starts with Big Sky nemesis Eastern Washington on October 15. That is followed by a non-league game versus Cal Poly of the Great West Football Conference, a 9-2 team a year ago. UM’s last home game is October 29 against Portland State, the only conference team that defeated (35-32) the Griz last season.
Montana ends the season with Big Sky road games at Northern Arizona, Sacramento State, and Montana State (for the 105th meeting).
“Obviously we don’t like the way our season ends up, playing three Big Sky games on the road; I am not too sure how that gets set up,” Hauck said. “For us to go back-to-back-to-back on the road, especially with a long road trip to NAU followed by a long road trip to Sac State will take its toll on our team. We’ll have to be up for the task at that point in time.
“Our league is very talented and well-coached, and we play good football in the Big Sky Conference,” Hauck said. “That shows up in our success in the national playoff picture. You can’t rule any team out from potentially winning the league championship. There are some teams maybe that would be considered front-runners at the start of the season, but I think every week is going to be a battle in the Big Sky Conference.”
[Back to the Grizzly Times]
|
UM volleyball sets sights high for 2005
by Joel Carlson, UM Sports Information |
It seemed innocuous enough at the time, Montana's 3-1 win over Idaho State last October. After going winless through the first half of the Big Sky Conference schedule, the Grizzlies rallied from a 1-0 hole to come back for a 3-1 victory over the Bengals.
The win improved Montana to just 4-14 overall and 1-7 in league play, but it was the small step forward for her team that UM coach Nikki Best had been patiently waiting for. She knew her team was better than 4-14, it just needed a kick-start to get it rolling.
The win over Idaho State proved to be just the spark the Grizzlies needed.
Head coach Nikki Best |
The next night Montana again rallied for victory, coming back from a 2-1 deficit to beat Weber State in five games. It was the Grizzlies' first win streak of the year and their first back-to-back Big Sky Conference victories since 2000.
Momentum was gathering.
A 3-1 loss at Sacramento State followed, but UM represented itself well in defeat. For the season, the Hornets lost just five games total in 14 home matches, including only two in league play.
The positive steps continued at Northern Arizona two nights later, when Montana snapped a 27-match league road losing streak with a five-game victory over the Lumberjacks. UM had now won three of four.
In their final home matches of the season, the Grizzlies showcased their improved play for one of the largest home crowds in years. Against eventual BSC regular-season champion Eastern Washington, Montana fell in five games, a nail-biter that was watched by a season-high 1,009 fans.
Though their postseason-less fate was sealed with the loss to the Eagles, UM closed conference play with a 3-2 victory over Portland State, then followed that up with a four-game defeat of Gonzaga in the regular-season finale.
All told, the Grizzlies ended 2004 with five wins in their last eight matches.
The 2005 Grizzlies return a bulk of the roster that closed last year so successfully, which is why Best is so anxious for practice to begin.
"That stretch (of wins to close the 2004 season) was wonderful to experience as a group," Montana's sixth-year coach said a week prior to the opening of the 2005 season. "It was very telling of what this group is capable of. They really grew into their own as a team.
"It sets them up to want that feeling again, and I think we'll find that feeling earlier in the season this year."
At the heart of Best's expectations is a core of five returning starters, plus last season's full-time libero.
Claudia Houle |
Among those returning starters will be junior outside hitter Claudia Houle, who was named the Big Sky's Top Newcomer in 2004 and voted second team All-BSC after leading Montana with 4.34 kills per game in her first year in a Griz uniform.
Houle, who had 10 matches last year in which she had at least 20 kills, will miss the first two weeks of practice as she wraps up a summer of competing for Canada B, the training squad for the Canadian national team. The Ste. Anne du Sault, Quebec, native will join Montana for the first time in Orono, Maine, site of UM's season-opening tournament.
"I believe Claudia is the best hitter in the conference," Best said without hesitation. "She has a maturity in her play that is just a step above most of the other outside hitters in our conference."
Joining Houle in the starting lineup will be two seniors with 468 games played between them.
Setter Diana Thompson finished fifth in the league in assists in 2004 with 11.05 per game. The San Clemente, Calif., native ranks seventh all-time in career assists and with a comparable season in 2005 would move up to third on the UM career list.
"The thing I like most about Diana is that her decision-making under pressure is unbelievable," Best said. "That's when she's at her best. When the team needs her to step up, she does every time."
Middle blocker Audrey Jensen is a three-year letterwinner and two-year starter. The Minden, Neb., native led the team in blocks last year with 106 and was second in kills with 2.77 per game. She has a career hitting percentage of .261, which would rank third on the Montana career list (she is 250 attempts shy of having enough attacks to qualify).
Audrey Jensen |
"Audrey is probably one of our most experienced starters, and she is a winner," Best said. "She wants to win matches, and that helps to drive and push her. We'll count on her for a lot of leadership this year."
The other two returning starters are both 6-3 middle blockers.
Junior EvaLyn Whitehead saw a diminished role on the team late in the 2004 season due to injury, but the Hyrum, Utah, product still finished third on the team in blocks with 48 and fifth in kills with 120.
"I think this year EvaLyn is going to come into her own," Best said. "I feel strongly that she's ready to become a major player in the conference and that her progress will be the most drastic of the girls you'll see in our program this year."
Sophomore Jessica Petersen started her redshirt freshman season slowly in 2004, but came on strong late in the season. The Helena, Mont., native averaged nearly 10 kills and over four blocks per match over the final seven matches of the conference schedule.
"(Since joining the program), Jessica has developed into a very fine middle," Best said. "She has become confident in her ability, she works extremely hard and I think she's going to have a great year."
In addition to five returning starters, sophomore libero Jackie White is also back. The 5-7 Bellevue, Wash., native averaged a team-high 4.20 digs per game while playing in all 25 matches and all 100 games as a freshman.
Jackie White |
"Last year Jackie stepped into a very important role in our program as the libero," Best said, "and she showed our team how to make great effort defensively. You need a libero who's tough as nails, and Jackie is just that."
Two letterwinners from 2004 return in senior outside hitter Ashley Gorham and junior setter Shelley Boyd.
Gorham, a Billings, Mont., native, played in 20 matches in 2004, averaging 0.66 kills and 1.45 digs per game. Boyd, a Missoula, Mont., native who will possibly redshirt in 2005 in order to compete for the starting setter position the following two seasons, played in 19 matches last fall, averaging 1.72 digs per game and totaling 12 service aces.
Montana lost just one player to graduation, Alice Myers. Opting not to return to the program in 2005 were Leah Wissing, who averaged 0.76 kills per game while seeing action in 14 matches in 2004, and Micaela Parker, who led the team with 28 service aces in 2004 and was third with 2.35 kills per game.
Seven newcomers dot the 15-player roster, including six freshmen and junior transfer Emily Sakis.
Sakis, from Palmer, Alaska, played her first two collegiate seasons at Northeastern (Colo.) Junior College. The middle hitter earned NJCAA second team All-America honors in 2004 after leading the Plainswomen to a 37-8 record, averaging 4.81 kills and 1.1 blocks per game while hitting .430.
Among the six freshmen, three come from the state of Montana. Jade Roskum-Purnell is an outside hitter from Helena, Katie Swindall is a setter from Kalispell and Jessica Luckay is a defensive specialist from Bozeman.
Out-of-state freshmen include Shanele Means, a defensive specialist from Gillette, Wyo., Season Reynolds, an outside hitter from Citrus Heights, Calif., and Julie Faulk, a defensive specialist from Vancouver, Wash.
With a blend of experience and fresh faces, Best has high expectations in 2005.
"I think our goals this year are very similar to what they've been in most seasons I've coached," Best said. "These girls are very competitive, and they want to go for a championship. They truly want to compete with the very best teams in the conference. We have a smaller goal of making the conference tournament, but I think if we limit ourselves to just making the tournament, that does not do this group justice."
[Back to the Grizzly Times] |
Griz soccer squad seeks next step
by Chris Geraghty, UM Sports Information |
In 2004 first-year head coach Neil Sedgwick inherited a Montana Grizzly soccer squad that was coming off its worst regular season in program history (8-11-2, 3-3 Big Sky). And even though Montana made an unexpected appearance in the 2003 Big Sky Women’s Soccer Championship title match, the program needed a change of tune.
Sedgwick implemented a new attacking style of play which differed mightily from the team’s previous defensive mindset. The fresh approach opened up the field and gave new life to a team that had grown increasingly stagnant. As expected with a major mentality change, growing pains occurred. Those aches were made even more noticable because of an injury to two-time all-conference goalkeeper Sarah Braseth which created a revolving door at the team’s anchor position.
Head coach Neil Sedgwick |
The Griz maintained a 4-5-1 non-conference record that included home wins over Washington State and New Mexico. Montana then embarked on a conference schedule that equated to a 3-2-1 mark, good enough for a third-place regular-season finish. The Griz earned a place in the conference tournament, a feat they’ve accomplished every year since the Big Sky began sponsoring women’s soccer as a varsity sport in 1997.
As the No. 3 seed, Montana upset regular-season co-champion Eastern Washington, 2-1, in the semifinal round, earning a place in the title match against No. 4 seed Weber State. Just one win away from their first appearance in the NCAA College Cup since 2000 season, the Grizzlies’ season came to a screeching halt with a 1-0 loss to the Wildcats.
Last year’s disappointing end remained on the minds of the Grizzlies as they worked harder than ever in off-season conditioning. The Griz return 13 letterwinners and 11 starters and have added a youth movement of 12 freshman newcomers. The 2005 Montana Grizzlies are more familiar with the direction of the program and back with something to prove.
The Coaches
Returning for year two under Sedgwick are assistant coaches Angela Morrison and Tina Morse, a pair of instructors that are familiar with the second-year head coach’s aspirations.
“It’s exciting to have individuals that have all worked together in player-coach and coach-coach relationships,” Sedgwick said. “The beauty of our staff is that we all have the same vision, yet we all bring different ideas and perspectives to create a unique model of development.”
Morrison, who serves as Montana’s recruiting coordinator and goalkeeping coach, previously worked with Sedgwick at the University of North Dakota before her arrival in Missoula.
“Angela, who has been a long-time friend and coaching colleague, has a great deal of experience as both an assistant and head coach,” Sedgwick said. “She’s invaluable in helping me put together our practice sessions and evaluation of players on a day-to-day basis.”
Lindsay Winans |
Morse, who played under Sedgwick and Morrison at UND and served as an assistant with Morrison at San Diego State, brings a lot of experience as both a player and a coach.
“Tina brings a real players’ perspective because she recently played college soccer,” Sedgwick said. “She’s incredible with organizing the soccer office needs and organizing the players so that we can take care of things in an efficient manner.”
New this season is volunteer assistant Jen Cilz, who most recently served as assistant and interim head coach at UND. “Jen was my first U.S. recruit when I was at North Dakota. She was a hard-working player and a real student of the game. She’s brought those same characteristics and attitude to her coaching here at Montana.”
The Forwards
Depth is not an issue for the Grizzlies as nine different players should see action at the forward position.
Junior Lindsay Winans, one of the most prolific goal-scorers in recent Grizzly soccer history, is coming off a 10-goal, 21-point season that garnered her 2004 Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP honors. Winans’ 15 career goals ties her for 10th all-time at UM.
Also at the forefront of the Grizzly attack will be seniors Stephanie Davis and Saraid Faville, junior Shawn Destafney and sophomores Carrie Lee and Laura Nogueira. That veteran quintet brings an energy and passing expertise to the position that is imperative to Montana’s offensive success.
Freshmen Britta Bourne, Sami Cooke and Grace McKoy could also figure into the forward mix in 2005. All three possess a variety of goal-scoring techniques that will be welcomed in the Grizzlies’ aggressive style of play.
Lily Coble |
“We have an exciting group of strikers this year with a lot of experience playing up front,” Sedgwick said. “We have a lot of youthful energy in the returners and incoming freshmen, which will allow this team to move forward and score some goals.”
The Midfielders
Arguably the most competitive position on the 2005 squad is midfielder, where Montana has seven players competing for three starting positions. Junior Lily Coble was a second team all-conference selection who was one of five Grizzlies to start in all 18 matches last year.
Joining Coble as one of the position’s mainstays is sophomore Mahlleace Tomsin, who played in 17 matches, recording nine starts a year ago.
Newcomers to the Grizzly midfield include freshmen Chelsey Bigler, Sara Campbell, Lydia Cotton, Rachael Mayer and Danielle McQuinn. All five will battle for playing time.
“Our midfielders are solid with their ability to get forward on the dribble with penetrative runs and their ability to distribute and start the offense with passes of distance,” Sedgwick said. “I think this year we have more complete players at the midfield position.”
The Defenders
The team took a major hit with the graduation of two-time Big Sky Conference Defensive MVP Wendy Stuker. Finding her replacement is a top priority for the Grizzlies as they enter the 2005 season.
MacKenzie Murphy |
Two-time all-conference selection MacKenzie Murphy will be asked to help fill the void, and the hard-nosed junior is poised and up for the task. Murphy is one of the most experienced players on the team having started and played in all 39 of her career matches at UM.
Junior Kelly Fullerton also brings a tremendous amount of experience to the position. Fullerton, who led the team and tied for fourth in the conference with four assists in 2004, has started in 37 of the 39 matches Montana has played over the last two seasons.
Redshirt freshman Sara Aspinwall, along with freshmen newcomers Katie Banner and Heidi Gaskill, will be relied on heavily to round out the depth on the back line.
“We have a lot of players that are competitive and that love to attack out of their defending positions,” Sedgwick said. “We are really excited about the fact that we don’t just have true defenders that will only stay back, but we have players that like to also push forward.”
The Goalkeepers
The unquestioned starter in goal is senior Sarah Braseth, who holds a total of five single-game, season and career goalkeeping records at UM. Braseth suffered a season-ending injury in the first match of 2004, but is back to continue her assault on the Grizzly record books.
The future of the position is bright as freshmen Katie Beall and Grace Harris will be asked to learn the college game from Braseth, a two-time All-Big Sky selection.
“Sarah has a tremendous amount of experience and she serves as the team’s leader from the back.” Sedgwick said. “She’s been asked to mentor our two freshmen athletes who have multi-sport experience.”
“I think we’ll be solid at the goalkeeping position because that trio works very well together,” Sedgwick said.
[Back to the Grizzly Times] |
Young UM runners ready for 2005
by Joel Carlson, UM Sports Information |
The Montana men's and women's cross country teams will have one thing in common this season. Both will be led by a clear No. 1 runner, but the success of the teams will depend upon the pack of runners that follow.
"Richie (Pemberton) is clearly the No. 1 runner on the men's side, and Allie (Brosh) is obviously the top runner on the women's team," 10th-year Montana cross country coach Tom Raunig said prior to the start of 2005 workouts, "then there is a pack of evenly matched runners after that.
"Getting that pack to work together will be imperative for how well we'll do as a team."
Richie Pemberton |
Junior Richie Pemberton (Manhattan, Mont.) will lead the Grizzly men's team for the second straight fall. He was Montana's top finisher at both the 2004 Big Sky Conference Championship and the NCAA Mountain Regional. Pemberton finished 10th overall at the BSC meet (5m/24:45) to earn All-Big Sky Conference honors and was 44th at the region meet (10k/31:19.4).
Expected to round out the top five behind Pemberton are junior Matt Winter (Billings, Mont.), sophomore Dan Bingham (Toms River, N.J.) and freshmen Eli Hermann (Bellingham, Wash.) and MacKenzie Bloom (Stevensville, Mont.).
Winter finished as Montana's No. 2 runner at four of its five meets last fall. He finished 26th overall at the Big Sky Conference Championships (5m/25:29) and 68th at the NCAA regional meet (10k/32:08.4).
Bingham was the Grizzlies' No. 4 finisher at all five meets in 2004. He was 34th at the Big Sky meet (5m/26:07) and 86th at the NCAA regional (10k/33:18.6).
Hermann redshirted last fall but competed during the 2005 outdoor track season. He finished eighth at the Big Sky Conference outdoor championships in the steeplechase.
Expected to round out the top five is Bloom, who joins the team with impressive credentials. In the fall of 2004, the first year that Stevensville High had a cross country program, Bloom finished fourth at the Class A state meet. Bloom wrapped up his career by winning the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter races at last spring's Class A state track and field meet.
"Our top four runners are all returning from last year," Raunig said, "and all of them have had some good performances during their time at Montana. For us to be successful, we just need them to develop some consistency.
"All of them have shown the ability to be excellent runners, and all of them have put in the time and work this summer to be leaders on this year's team."
Dennis Brands |
Providing depth and competing for spots in the top seven will be junior Brad Huddleston (Pine, Colo.), sophomore Duncan Hendrick (Edmonds, Wash.) and freshmen Dennis Brands (Canby, Ore.), Zach Betz (Dewitt, Iowa) and Matt Parker (Kalispell, Mont.).
As a sophomore in 2004, Huddleston finished between fifth and seventh in the four races in which he competed. He was Montana's fifth-place finisher at the NCAA Mountain Regional (10k/34:11.8).
Hendrick raced three times last fall and was the Grizzlies' No. 5 finisher at the Big Sky Conference meet (5m/26:46). He raced the 1,500 and 5,000 meters during last spring's outdoor track season.
Brands and Betz both redshirted last year's cross country season, then competed for the UM track program. Brands ran the mile during the indoor season and the 1,500 meters outdoors. Betz ran everything from the 800 metes to the 5,000.
Parker, the 2003 state AA cross country champion at Flathead High, joins Montana after transferring from Minnesota. His impact on the team in 2005 will depend upon his return from injury.
Freshman John Metropoulos (Helena, Mont.), the 2004 Montana Class AA state cross country champion at Helena High, will redshirt.
"The men finished fifth last year with Cee Jay Brown (last year's No. 2 runner who won't be competing this fall)," Raunig said. "If we had him back, we could maybe crack the top three at the conference meet. Without him, the road will be a lot tougher.
"Northern Arizona, Weber State and Idaho State will be strong. On paper we are probably fourth or fifth, but we could maybe still challenge for a top-three spot."
Allie Brosh, a sophomore from Sandpoint, Idaho, returns to lead the Montana women after a successful freshman campaign. She finished as Montana's No. 1 runner at UM's final four meets in 2004.
Allie Brosh |
Brosh's list of impressive finishes included placing fourth overall at the UM Invitational (6k/22:29.9), eighth at the Big Sky Conference Championship (3m/17:44) to earn all-conference honors and 51st at the NCAA Mountain Regional (6k/22:29.3).
Rounding out the top five should be senior Shannon Johnson (Apple Valley, Minn.), junior Dominique Colberg (Palmer, Alaska) and sophomores Laura Zschaechner (Missoula, Mont.) and Kaci Calaway (Bigfork, Mont.).
Johnson will be in her fourth year as a top-five runner for the Grizzlies. She opened the 2004 season as Montana's top finisher at the Montana State Invitational (3m/17:50.63), then was a No. 4 or 5 finisher the remainder of the season.
Colberg finished as high as No. 2 for the Grizzlies in 2004 at the NCAA Pre-Nationals (6k/22:56.7). She was Montana's No. 5 placer at the NCAA Mountain Regional (6k/23:29.8).
After sitting out the 2004 season, Zschaechner returns for her second year of competition in 2005. She was UM's No. 4 runner at the 2003 Big Sky Conference Championship, placing 20th overall (5k/19:02) for the Grizzlies' third-place team.
Calaway is also back for her second year after a solid freshman season in 2004. She was Montana's No. 4 runner (3m/18:32) at the Big Sky Conference meet and No. 2 finisher at the NCAA Mountain Regional (6k/23:07.1).
"We have quite a few unknowns after that," Raunig said. "There are some young runners that could help."
Topping the list of potential top-five runners are three freshmen: Kim Tritz of Missoula, Mont.,
Chelsea Burfeind of Kalispell, Mont., and Natalie Yarbrough of Apple Valley, Minn.
Tritz finished eighth overall at the 2004 Montana Class AA state cross country meet as a senior at Big Sky High. She was followed closely by Burfeind, who was ninth for Flathead High. Yarbrough finished 10th at the Minnesota state cross country meet in 2004.
Other returners include senior Vasi Jankovich (Mercer Island, Wash.), juniors Katrina Baldwin (Bethel, Alaska) and Lindsey Redfern (Poulsbo, Wash.) and sophomore Grace Shapland (Eugene, Ore.).
Jankovich, Baldwin and Redfern all competed in three meets in 2004.
Newcomers are junior Joy Morris (Colorado Springs, Colo.), sophomore Sara Thon (Bellingham, Wash.) and freshman Shannon Woodman (Chatham, N.J.).
"The women are healthier than the men's team entering the season and have some more quality depth, so that gives them a shot at a top-three finish," Raunig said.
[Back to the Grizzly Times]
|
Dahlberg Arena floor gets upgrade
by Joel Carlson, UM Sports Information |
The basketball court at UM’s Adams Center, a portable floor that had to be taken up and placed down in sections numerous times each year, was replaced in August by a brand-new permanent floor that covers the entire fieldhouse.
Head coaches Robin Selvig (left) and Larry Krystkowiak (right) stand on the new basketball floor at Dahlberg Arena. |
The old floor, which had been in use since the late 70s, had an original life expectancy of seven to 10 years, but that was able to be extended by a dozen years when it underwent a complete overhaul in 1992.
“We got all we could out of that floor,” Chuck Maes, UM’s associate athletic director for internal operations, said recently.
Four or five companies in the U.S. specialize in sports flooring systems. Montana settled on Connor Sports Flooring Corporation out of Arlington Heights, Ill.
Northern Hardwood Company out of Deer Park, Wash., supplied the product.
“The old floor had metal connection pieces that had worn out,” Maes said. “Since it was a portable floor, it never had a sub-floor with pads to begin with, which means it offered no shock absorption and it didn’t meet the DIN 2001 requirements for player safety.”
Enter the new fixed resilient sports floor. Its life expectancy: the life of the building when taken care of properly.
“This floor is the Cadillac of flooring systems,” Maes said. “Having the sub-floor is what makes this such an upgrade over what we had been using. The maple covering is just the paint. The sub-floor is the engine. That’s what determines how a floor responds and performs. That’s the key piece.”
The actual floor came at a cost of about $250,000. The total bill came to $350,000 when installation, painting and the floor’s covering system (for concerts and other events) were added in.
Priceless would be the more appropriate term for Montana basketball coaches Larry Krystkowiak and Robin Selvig, whose teams will be the primary beneficiaries of the improvement. Grizzly Times sat down with the coaches recently to ask them about the new floor.
GT: Why did the Montana basketball programs need a new floor?
LK: From a safety point of view, our players were really susceptible to knee, ankle and joint injuries by playing on something that did not return any energy. And visually, when you walk into that facility now, rather than seeing kind of a rodeo surface floor, you’re looking at shiny new hardwood. I think it’s really going to enhance just the way the place looks.
RS: The old floor was shot, so we needed a new floor for the health and safety of our players.
-----
GT: How does this new floor help your program?
LK: It’s great. Last spring when we had recruits in, we kind of bypassed the gym and told them, “By the way, we’re getting a new floor next year.” Now we’ll take them in there and it will be an important part of the tour. I think it’s going to make it the nicest facility in the conference for sure, with the new floor added to the renovation done a few years ago. It’s going to be a nice match.
RS: For one thing it’s state of the art in terms of safety and quality. Another thing it’s really going to do for us is improve our practice situation. We’ve only had four baskets in very close quarters before. Now we’ll be able to utilize the entire floor space. It’s just going to improve our ability to have good practices. The place looks gorgeous now when you walk in there, where before it looked like a barn when the floor wasn’t in there.
----
GT: What message does the new floor send to your program?
LK: For our program it makes a statement. We’re renovating our locker room and getting a new hardwood floor. For our program overall, the timing is good. It helps you in recruiting, and it does send a message that “Hey, we’re behind you. This university is behind you in your pursuits,” and that’s something we can try to convey to our athletes.
RS: It’s the best thing that’s been done for the basketball program that I can remember. It’ll be a direct benefit to our ability to practice.
----
GT: What is your best memory from the old floor?
LK: You’re not really tied too much into the actual floor. We never won any championships or anything on that thing. I’d probably have to say after my last game in there. We played the Cats on a Saturday afternoon. We just hung around the floor for an hour or two after the game with all the people. It was a big celebration.
RS: Probably when I kicked Krysko one-on-one at noon. The floor’s been down there forever for all our big games. I can’t pick out just one particular moment.
----
GT: What would you like to see happen to the old floor?
LK: I thought it’d be nice if they could somehow get it tied in with charity. I wasn’t sure if there wasn’t an old barn or warehouse somewhere that you couldn’t lay that floor down and refinish it one more time and turn it into a permanent floor somewhere, whether it’s a gym around town or something. But there’s part of me that wants to throw it on a bonfire and torch it too. It’d make for some good firewood this winter.
RS: I don’t know what they can do with that old floor. Hopefully it can be used for something, maybe selling parts of it as a fundraiser. It’s not like I hated the old floor. We’ve got too many good memories in there, but it was basically trashed. It’s been up and down too many times for a portable floor to keep its quality. But there are a lot of good memories to that floor. I’d like a chunk of it for myself.
[Back to the Grizzly Times] |
Sedgwick becomes Ironman
by Joel Carlson, UM Sports Information |
Head soccer coach Neil Sedgwick |
In the June 1 issue of Grizzly Times, we asked Montana’s head coaches what their summer plans were. UM soccer coach Neil Sedgwick reported that he was intending to race at the 2005 Coeur d’Alene Ironman triathlon on June 26. An Ironman consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run.
Sedgwick, who competes for the Missoula-based Team Stampede triathlon club, finished the race, his first at the Ironman distance, in 12:00:27, placing 592nd out of the nearly 1,800 athletes who lined up on Lake Coeur d’Alene’s beach at 7 a.m.
His swim time was 1:12, his bike time was 5:52 and his marathon time was 4:45.
Following the race, Sedgwick sent an email to the members of Team Stampede, not only recapping his race, but also thanking the non-racers who flocked to Coeur d’Alene for their support. Here is an excerpt from that letter:
Everyone that was at Coeur d’Alene to support us was involved in the real spirit of Ironman. You guys were the event, the energy and the savior for many of us. There was a small group of Stampede racers, there was a smaller group of Stampeders looking to get to the finish line (I was in this group) and then there was this large contingent of Stampeders that carried the rest of us.
You lifted our spirits when we were down, you drove us forward when we were feeling good, you ran beside us on the hills making us feel like we were in the Tour and racing the Alps, you cheered, you yelled, you made noise, you were there for us, including lying to us when we needed it the most (“Neil, you look awesome,” “Neil, you are tearing this course apart”). I enjoyed the lies and deep down they made me feel stronger if only for a moment. The Stampeders that were the heroes on the day were the ones that moved us, lifted us on their words and got us ever closer to the finish.
My race: The swim was chaos, and I guess getting through the chaos of 1,800 swimmers starting at the same time is the simple task for average swimmers. With that behind me, and once I had a very happy volunteer help me find my transition bag, I was on the bike.
The 115-mile ride a week before the race was the ticket. I was holding back. I knew my goal pace was 18.9 miles per hour, and I think I averaged 19 at the end. The climbs felt easy, and the effort comfortable, but knowing I had a marathon, I held back. I truly believe the long rides, the hill repeats, and the tough sessions of over-race-pace intervals in the last six weeks of Matt Seeley’s program helped tremendously.
At the bike-to-run transition, I felt great. The stomach was in control thanks to Dr. Ruby’s minimalist nutrition planning, and I breezed out on the run with the first two miles going by in 13 minutes.
Of course I felt invincible. I ran past the first aid station, turned my nose up at the chicken broth, and hit my pace of 8:45-9:00/mile until I returned to town. Thirteen miles out of the way, only 13 to go. After going sub-two hours for the first half, I thought I could hold on to a 2:05 or 2:10 second half, but my calves had a different plan.
Thirteen miles of cramping, walk breaks to calm the spasms and then 250-300 strides before the spasms started again. I held the 9:00-minute mile pace for the running intervals, but unfortunately the cramps kept sneaking up on me.
The stomach that felt great at transition, was full of four servings of gel that felt more like a foot-long Subway meatball sub at mile 14. Two hours earlier I could have had the chicken broth, but now I didn’t think I could stomach it, and I felt that the Gatorade and my persistence would force the cramps away – lesson learned..
But, when I rounded the corner to home, and heard the cry of “three minutes to break 12 hours” I felt a push. The voices staying beside me, I picked up the pace, lengthened the stride and immediately started wondering why I was only getting mild spasms now in my calves (and wondering why I didn’t do this earlier as I had good energy).
When John passed me the Team Stampede cowboy hat, there was a rush of energy, a giddy-up, a responsibility to represent the team.
Then you hit the funnel of supporters as you get close to the finish line, and they recognize the hat, the team, the Matt Seeley-trademarked hat that they know so well, that not only he, but also his followers adorn on their run to the line, and the crowd goes mad. If you are a bad golfer like me, those few moments are like hitting that one good shot that keeps you coming back to the game. Well that may get me back to the CDA game.
And a note on putting on that hat. As I mentioned in the church later that night, I was never prouder than when I put on the hat. The hat was on my head but the energy that it brought me was captured energy from Stampede’s collective voices. I have never experienced a greater sense of team than I did on that day. With my many years of soccer, this individual sport of triathlon/Ironman showed me what a team is about.
There was no apparent glory or reward for anyone that was there for us all day, but you gave of yourselves to get your Stampeders to the line. Thanks. This is a special group that wears orange. Let’s keep it going.
[Back to the Grizzly Times]
|
| The Big Five: 2005's can't-miss on-campus sporting events |
The 2005 Grizzly sports season is upon us and eight of Montana's 14 Division
I varsity sports are in action over the next three months. Of the participating
eight sports, men's and women's cross country, football, soccer, men's
and women's tennis and volleyball all have marquee Missoula-based events.
The Grizzly Times ranked these can't miss home sporting events of the fall
season.
Saraid Faville |
No. 5 - Griz soccer vs. Weber State
October 23 (Noon - South Campus
Stadium)
Montana and Weber State have met 13 times over the last nine years with the Griz
holding an 8-5 all-time series advantage. Weber State’s
five victories over the Grizzlies are the most by any conference foe, and included
in that is 2-1 record against UM in Big Sky Conference title matches. Montana
should have extra incentive in 2005 because the Wildcats ended the Grizzlies’ season
a year ago with a 1-0 win in the conference tournament championship.
Weber State’s all-conference midfielder Rochelle
Hoover, who scored the game-winner in that match, is back to lead the attack
for the Wildcats.
JR Waller |
No. 4 - Griz football vs. Cal Poly
October 22 (1:05 pm - Washington-Grizzly
Stadium)
Cal Poly was snubbed by the NCAA selection committee and held out
of the 2004 playoffs after going 9-2 en route to a Great West Football
Conference title. A road game in Missoula always adds credibility
to a team's schedule so expect the Mustangs to charge into Washington-Grizzly
with something to prove. Cal Poly is led by senior defensive tackle
Chris Gocong, who finished as runner-up in
balloting for the Buck Buchanan Award in 2004. The game also serves as
a homecoming for Jeff Hammerschmidt, the defensive coordinator for UM from
2003-04, who enters his first year with Cal Poly.
Claudia Houle |
No. 3 - Griz volleyball vs. Montana State
October 27 (7 pm - West Auxiliary Gym)
Montana volleyball is off to hot start after winning its season-opening
Maine tournament, and it will
need to carry that momentum through the rest of the non-conference schedule
and into the home match with the Bobcats. The Cats, who finished third
in the regular season standings in 2004, took both matches from the Grizzlies
last year. Montana has five of its first seven conference matches on the
road, and the Griz-Cat contest is in the heart of the league schedule.
A Griz win would prove fruitful for the chances to play at the Big Sky
Conference Championship.
Sarah Braseth |
No. 2 - Griz soccer vs. Portland State
October 30 (1 pm - South Campus Stadium)
Portland State, which has defeated Montana in the last three meetings, is the only
Big Sky Conference foe that has recorded two wins over the Grizzlies in matches
played in Missoula. Despite the Grizzlies' recent woes, they still hold a 4-2
all-time advantage over PSU in home matches. The Grizzlies are
looking for redemption because of last season's 3-2 overtime loss at Portland
State in the regular-season finale. That win gave the Vikings a second consecutive
regular-season title and rights to host the conference tourney, which would have
been in Missoula if the Griz had won.
Shane MacIntyre |
No. 1 - Griz football vs. Eastern Washington
October 15 (1:05 pm - Washington-Grizzly Stadium)
Montana and Eastern Washington both garnered top five rankings in the Sports
Network preseason Division I-AA poll, with UM at No. 3 and EWU at No.
4. The Eagles got the nod over the Grizzlies in both the media and coaches polls
released by the Big Sky, with the teams finishing No. 1 and No. 2.
EWU is led by senior quarterback Erik Meyer, the reigning Big
Sky Offensive MVP, and a leading candidate for the Walter Payton Award. Their
potent offensive attack will face a stingy Grizzly defense led by all-conference
senior linebacker Shane MacIntyre. This meeting could determine the league champion
and has all the makings of a game to remember.
HONORABLE MENTION
Cross country - Montana Invitational (October 1, 10 am - UM Golf Course)
Four Big Sky Conference schools (Eastern Washington, Idaho State,
Montana State and Weber State) convene on Missoula to join the Grizzlies
in a pivotal mid-season meet.
Football vs. Portland State (October 29, 1:05 pm - Washington-Grizzly Stadium)
The 35-32 stumble at Portland was the Grizzlies only league loss
in 2004. An electric atmosphere should be expected on "Senior Day,"
when the Vikings travel to Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
Tennis - UM Fall Invitational (September 23-25, Robert O. Lindsay Tennis
Center)
The only home tournament in the fall season for the men's and women's
tennis players. A group of five newcomers and nine returners are led by
seniors Varun Giri, Jonna Schwartz and Jan Steenekamp.
Volleyball vs. Eastern Wasington (October 8, 7 pm - West Auxiliary Gym)
The defending Big Sky Conference regular-season champions roll to town,
and an improved Grizzly squad looks to top the Eagles for
the first time since the 1999 season.
[Back
to the Grizzly Times]
|
| A letter from Athletic Director Jim O'Day |
Montana A.D. Jim O'Day |
Isn’t it a great time to be a GRIZ!!!!
School is back in session, the brisk nights are welcome a relief from warm summer days – and the fall sporting season is upon us at The University of Montana.
This weekend, three of the four UM fall sporting teams are in action. The soccer squad (0-1-1) travels to the California Invitational, while the women’s volleyball team takes its 3-0 record (and last weekend’s championship at the Maine Invitational) to the Iowa State Invitational. Cross country is a week away from opening its season. In Missoula, meanwhile, Griz fans everywhere are enthusiastically anticipating yet another football season as Montana hosts Fort Lewis College of Colorado on Saturday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. in Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
It was just nine months ago we were in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for the school’s fifth national championship game appearance over the past decade. That was the start of a great 2004-05 academic school year for the Montana Grizzlies. It included Big Sky Conference titles in men’s and women’s basketball, to go along with another conference championship in football. In addition, Griz teams were second in women’s soccer and golf last year – while tennis, track and field/cross country and women’s volleyball all showed significant improvements – and can’t wait to hit their respective fields/courts this year.
It was also a year where Intercollegiate Athletics reported a 70% graduation rate (higher than the NCAA national average of 62%), and a cumulative GPA of just under 3.0. More than one-half of our outstanding student-athletes had GPAs above 3.0. Not only did they excel on the courts and fields, but also in the classroom. We couldn’t be prouder of their many accomplishments.
As part of the season-opening festivities, UM Athletics will be recognizing a group of former student-athletes: The 1995 National Championship team – winners of the school’s first football national championship. Please join us in letting them know how much they all mean to our envied program as they become the first team inducted into the Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame.
We have a lot of great things happening throughout Intercollegiate Athletics at The University of Montana. I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this great program – and consider myself fortunate to have been selected as your Director of Athletics two months ago when that announcement was made by UM President George Dennison. I intend to work hard for the “Griz Nation,” and look forward to seeing you soon.
Best wishes to Griz fans everywhere… and thanks for all you do for UM Athletics.
Jim O'Day - Athletic Director
[Back to the Grizzly Times] |
| UM Athletic Department and GSA Announcements |
Former Griz standouts to spearhead "GrizKidz"
Six former University of Montana football players joined forces recently to create GrizKidz, a nonprofit program that will attempt to provide opportunities for financially disadvantaged children in Missoula to attend Grizzly home football games. The goal of the program is for Griz football ticket holders to donate tickets that would otherwise go unused for distribution to such children. Founding members of GrizKidz are former UM football standouts Matt Clark, Thad Huse, Mike McGowan, Mike Rankin, Tim Polich and Bryan Tripp.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
12th man jerseys on sale, funds to support Grizzly
Athletes
The Bookstore at The University of Montana, the Grizzly Scholarship
Association and UM Athletics have teamed up to create the 12th Man Program.
White Nike replica jerseys with the No. 12 are being sold with proceeds
going to the GSA for purchase of lettermen's jackets for all Griz letterwinners.
Be part of the team and get in the game buy picking up your 12th man jersey
only at The Bookstore or online (link below) at the Griz Shop.
ORDER
ONLINE AT THE GRIZ SHOP
Griz Nation wristbands on sale
Purchase the Griz Nation wristband and help support Grizzly Athletics.
ORDER
ONLINE AT
THE GRIZ SHOP
GSA apparel available
Grizzly Scholarship Association apparel is available at the GSA
offices in the Adams Event Center. There is an open invitation to all Griz
fans to check out the selection and help support the Montana
Grizzly Scholarship Association.
GSA sponsoring 'Griz Prowl' fundraiser
* Mark your Calendars! Save the Date! September 16, 2005 *
You are not going to want to miss this event! Along with the auctioning off of the 35 Grizzly Prowl bears (which will only comprise of an hour or so of the evening) will be great tasting food and fun entertainment. The auction marks the end of the Grizzly Prowl fundraising effort put forth by the Montana Grizzly Scholarship Association. Since Homecoming 2004, these bears have been available for the public to see and have been welcomed with open arms by the people of Missoula! Now, it's time fo find them permanent homes. Don't have room for one at your home? No worries! We have a long list of businesses that are willing to take these beautiful works of art - and that makes a great tax deduction for the buyer! Please visit our web site - www.grizzlyprowl.com - to watch for details. Or call CJ Merrill at 531-9444.
[Back to the Grizzly Times] |
|
|
|
|
