MissoulaCanucksFan
Well-known member
August has arrived and pretty soon, so will Griz soccer!
The only major losses the team had in the offseason were the two fifth-year Taylors (Hansen and Stoeger, the former now playing for the 1st-year AND 1st-place San Diego Wave of the NWSL) plus lockdown defender Caitlin Rogers. The team also lost Zoe Transtrum, Sami Siems, Kendall Furrow, and Emme Fernandez.
Despite the losses of Hansen, Rogers, and Stoeger...I believe the team may be as good if not better than a year ago. Top returning goal scorer Sydney Haustein had a breakthrough season last year and may be the top offensive threat (especially when a clutch goal is needed), but you don't want to sleep on Skyleigh Thompson, who really impressed last season as a true freshman on the attack. Jaden Griggs is also a potential scoring threat (she had a hat trick against MSU Billings last season, but didn't score again until the conference championship game against Weber State).
Out in the midfield, Molly Massman (along with Haustein) is back, but the addition of two transfers in Kathleen Aitchison (Nebraska) and Maysa Walters (New Mexico) will make to midfield corps much stronger. Returning sophomore Bella O'Brien and incoming freshmen Maddie Ditta and Emma Pascoe join a veteran group.
On the backline, McKenzie Kilpatrick is using her extra year this season, and along with fellow captain Allie Larsen, will be patrolling the top back end in the conference. I get the sense that Molly Quarry and Charley Boone will take the places of Hansen and Rogers as starters, but Ally Henrikson and Maddie Seelhoff could be contributors in the back as well.
But I would be remissed if I forgot about the top goalkeeper in the conference in Cam Xu. She broke goalkeeping records left and right last season (including a program record for shutouts last season with 11). Joining her is redshirt freshman (and Missoula Hellgate alum) Sophia Pierce and two true freshmen - Ashlyn Dvorak (from Billings West) and Washington native Shelby Stordahl.
First game is an exhibition match against Trinity Western on August 15 in Missoula, with their first regular season game against Creighton three days later (8/18).
Let the title defense begin!
The only major losses the team had in the offseason were the two fifth-year Taylors (Hansen and Stoeger, the former now playing for the 1st-year AND 1st-place San Diego Wave of the NWSL) plus lockdown defender Caitlin Rogers. The team also lost Zoe Transtrum, Sami Siems, Kendall Furrow, and Emme Fernandez.
Despite the losses of Hansen, Rogers, and Stoeger...I believe the team may be as good if not better than a year ago. Top returning goal scorer Sydney Haustein had a breakthrough season last year and may be the top offensive threat (especially when a clutch goal is needed), but you don't want to sleep on Skyleigh Thompson, who really impressed last season as a true freshman on the attack. Jaden Griggs is also a potential scoring threat (she had a hat trick against MSU Billings last season, but didn't score again until the conference championship game against Weber State).
Out in the midfield, Molly Massman (along with Haustein) is back, but the addition of two transfers in Kathleen Aitchison (Nebraska) and Maysa Walters (New Mexico) will make to midfield corps much stronger. Returning sophomore Bella O'Brien and incoming freshmen Maddie Ditta and Emma Pascoe join a veteran group.
On the backline, McKenzie Kilpatrick is using her extra year this season, and along with fellow captain Allie Larsen, will be patrolling the top back end in the conference. I get the sense that Molly Quarry and Charley Boone will take the places of Hansen and Rogers as starters, but Ally Henrikson and Maddie Seelhoff could be contributors in the back as well.
But I would be remissed if I forgot about the top goalkeeper in the conference in Cam Xu. She broke goalkeeping records left and right last season (including a program record for shutouts last season with 11). Joining her is redshirt freshman (and Missoula Hellgate alum) Sophia Pierce and two true freshmen - Ashlyn Dvorak (from Billings West) and Washington native Shelby Stordahl.
First game is an exhibition match against Trinity Western on August 15 in Missoula, with their first regular season game against Creighton three days later (8/18).
Let the title defense begin!