Keeper Xu among 4 first-team all-Big Sky picks for Grizzlies
MISSOULA — Montana redshirt freshman Camellia Xu, a six-time league defensive layer of the Week during the regular season, was named the Big Sky Conference Goalkeeper of the Year Monday in voting by the league’s coaches.
Xu also was voted first-team All-Big Sky, as were seniors Taylor Hansen, Caitlin Rogers and Taylor Stoeger for the Grizzlies. Montana has now had four or more first-team All-Big Sky selections in consecutive years for the first time since 1998-99.
Sydney Haustein was named second team and Allie Larsen honorable mention for Montana.
Xu becomes the third Grizzly to earn goalkeeper of the year. All three have come in the last six seasons, with Kailey Norman being honored in 2016 and Claire Howard last spring. Those two were seniors.
“It’s been interesting to see Cam go through this with all the awards and how she’s handled it,” coach Chris Citowicki said. “It’s different when it’s a senior or a junior, someone who’s been working toward this. It’s a unique spot for us to manage and try to get through.
“But it’s a pretty big deal and really cool for her to be in this position. It shows how good she can be and what her potential is. Let’s face it, she is only going to get better.”
Xu takes an 11-4-1 record and a 0.67 goals-against average and .869 save percentage into this weekend’s Big Sky Championship in Greeley, Colo. She leads the league goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts with nine.
Rogers was the Big Sky co-Defensive MVP in 2019, then suffered a broken leg in the fall of 2020, which kept her from playing more than just a few minutes during the 2021 spring season. She helped Montana post nine shutouts during the regular season and netted her first two career goals.
Through Hansen’s first three seasons she had six assists and no goals scored. This season, her fifth, brought on by a COVID allowance, she’s totaled one goal and six assists. Her 15 career assists rank sixth in program history. It’s now three consecutive years Hansen has been voted first-team All-Big Sky.
Stoeger’s seven goals tied for second in the Big Sky and are the most for a Montana player since Hallie Widner’s seven in 2014. She scored five in the last eight UM matches.
“Put her in the box and she can do legit goal-scoring stuff, and now she’s getting more goals,” Citowicki said. “She scores scrappy goals. She does that very well. For her to get this is incredible.”
Haustein scored her first collegiate goal at Cal Poly, added two against Texas Southern, then scored the goal that shocked Long Beach State in the 86th minute in Montana’s 1-0 victory over The Beach on the road. Finally, she had the game-winner on Oct. 24 as Montana closed out the regular season with a home victory over Idaho State, taking a clearing attempt out of midair and netting the winner. Her first and lone career assist came on Skyleigh Thompson’s game-winner in Montana’s 2-0 victory at Eastern Washington.
Larsen, second-team All-Big Sky last season, was honorable mention after starting all 17 matches and averaging more than 75 minutes per game at center back.
Big Sky Conference Individual Awards
Offensive MVP: Lexi Pulley, Northern Colorado
Defensive MVP: Maddie Duren, Northern Colorado
Goalkeeper of the Year: Camellia Xu, Montana
Golden Boot: Lexi Pulley, Northern Colorado
Top Newcomer: Morgan Furmaniak, Weber State
First-team All-Big Sky Conference
Forwards
Lexi Pulley, Northern Colorado
Taylor Bray, Northern Colorado
Taylor Stoeger, Montana
Midfielders
Olivia Seddon, Northern Colorado
Madison Kem, Eastern Washington
Sadie Newson, Weber State
Jasmyne Dunn, Sacramento State
Defenders
Maddie Duren, Northern Colorado
Aubrey Goodwill, Sacramento State
Taylor Hansen, Montana
Caitlin Rogers, Montana
Goalkeeper
Camellia Xu, Montana
Second-team All-Big Sky Conference
Forwards
Abigail Lopez, Sacramento State
Danna Restom, Sacramento State
Sam Larberg, Northern Arizona
Midfielders
Taylor Slack, Weber State
Sydney Haustein, Montana
Julia Herrera, Sacramento State
Mikhail Johnson, Northern Arizona
Defenders
Erika Hall, Northern Colorado
Olivia Tucker, Weber State
Taylor Brust, Idaho
Jordyn King, Eastern Washington
Goalkeeper
Kelsee Winston, Eastern Washington
Honorable-mention All-Big Sky Conference
Forwards
Madison Montgomery, Northern Arizona
Jadyn Hanks, Idaho
Gabby Warta, Idaho State
Midfielders
Samantha Craig, Sacramento State
Kamryn Farro, Southern Utah
Lucy Quinn, Portland State
Sienna Higinbotham, Portland State
Shay Valenzano, Sacramento State
Defenders
Jessica Mann, Sacramento State
Abby Donathan, Northern Arizona
Allie Larsen, Montana
Mya Elder-Hammond, Eastern Washington
Lucy Hart, Northern Colorado
Hailey Price, Weber State
Goalkeepers
Mekell Moss, Weber State
Avrie Fox, Idaho