The University of Montana women’s soccer team opens Big Sky conference play Thursday in Pocatello against Idaho State at 4 p.m.  The Bengals (5-4-0) have won their last three matches.  Last season’s Big Sky champ, Weber State (5-6-0), will be in Missoula to challenge the Grizzlies Sunday at 1 p.m.

Idaho State, who placed last in the Big Sky in 2008, has already logged five wins in 2009. For a team that was 3-12-4 overall in 2009, to describe the Bengals as improved might be an understatement.

Teams swathed in Idaho’s recent wake include Wyoming, who fell 2-1, Utah Valley, falling 2-1 and Utah State, losing 1-0.

The Bengals have averaged 1.22 goals per game resulting from 13.2 average shots taken. This outweighs the Grizzlies’ .73 goals per game which resulted from only 6.5 shots taken on average. 

Weber State, who finished out 2009 at 9-8-1, with a Big Sky record of 5-2-0, plays Eastern Washington on Thursday, hoping to end a six-game losing streak. 

The Wildcats match up closely with the Grizzlies statistically, averaging only 10.2 shots per game and .9 goals per game. 

The Grizzlies are excited to leave their high-octane non-conference opponents behind and to focus upon Big Sky play. UM coach Neil Sedgwick described the atmosphere around the Big Sky this week: “In the beginning, every Big Sky team is highly energized and ready for physical play. Idaho State will be no different.  We are ready for a great, high-energy game.  I honestly can’t make any predictions about how the Big Sky is going to end up.  Each game is worth too much in this conference. We need to focus always upon the task at hand.  I only hope that our team can take its lessons from an extremely difficult pre-conference schedule and bring the effort that is required to bring success in the conference.”

Sedgwick mentions that his team is coming to form as the Grizzlies enter the weekend that will bring them back home to South Campus Stadium saying, “Physically we are getting a lot closer to full strength, and even those that were not playing a big minutes for us at first—they are all making progress. People like Carmen Reyes, who played 45 minutes for us against Portland, and Grace McKoy, who has played a lot as of late—they are all improving and really completing the picture of a strong Montana team.”

Former Big Sky Player of the Week Teresa Huemann reflected upon the Grizzly prognosis with the beginning of conference matches, “Ever since we started in August, our preparation has been building up to conference, and working toward the tournament.  To be playing tough games every week and not get wins can be really frustrating. I guess it looks bad on the program, and a lot of people don’t understand how tough those teams really are, but it will be great to go into conference with that experience.  We have grown so strong defensively, all while playing the toughest schedule that I have seen in my three years here at UM. 

“Conference will be a change because all of the matches mean more now.  We know that we can make it into the Big Sky tournament, and hope that we can do the same for the NCAA tournament as well. 

“We do have a lot of losses, but we need to realize the growth that has come with each of those and, even looking at our games a month ago, you can’t deny that we have improved. That is what we are bringing to the conference.”

Idaho State and Montana share a series history led by Montana 7-5-1, while Weber will be looking to pull even with the Grizzlies, who currently lead 9-8-1.

Live stats for Sunday’s game will be available at www.montanagrizzlies.com.  Check out a more intimate profile of Grizzly soccer at www.grizsoccer.wordpress.com.