Thompson, Grizzlies forge 2-2 tie with Wyoming

MISSOULA — First the match was delayed, then the offense, but Montana was able to forge a 2-2 tie with Wyoming Thurdsday on Skyleigh Thompson’s goal in the 81st minute.

After a start that was delayed by 90 minutes because of lightning, the Cowgirls built a 1-0 halftime lead and a 2-0 advantage 10 minutes into the second half,

Montana stormed back, making up two-goal deficit for the first time since 2016. In the 68th minute Molly Massman scored her first collegiate goal, heading in a corner kick by Maysa Walters.

The Grizzlies drew even when Ava Samuelson played a ball across the goal that Delaney Lou Schorr headed over the goalkeeper, right to a hard-charging Thompson. The sophomore out of Flathead High scored her first goal of the season.

The Grizzlies almost won it in the 89th minute when freshman Maddie Ditta was kept out of the corner of the goal by a diving Miyuki Schoyen.

“In the end, it comes down to, can you put people in the right spots and can they do amazing things?” Montana coach Chris Citowicki said. “I loved how hard they worked to come back into this. Just amazing.”

After going two matches without a goal last week at the Rumble in the Rockies, Montana found itself in a 1-0 halftime deficit on Thursday. Alyssa Glover played a cross from the end line over Griz goalkeeper Camellia Xu, and Faith Joiner was able to head it in.

Xu, who made seven saves, had two earlier big-time deflections. But Wyoming made it 2-0 in the 55th minute when a flip throw from the sideline by Alyssa Bedard skipped off the head of a Griz defender and right to Joiner, who scored.

“We needed two things to happen,” said Citowicki. “One, you have to be comfortable enough putting people in different spots. We talked about it at halftime. We can’t keep playing this way. They have a perfect press set up for how we want to play.

“If we keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to keep losing it. Do you mind switching formations? No? Then let’s do it. So, we put people in different spots.”

Montana (0-1-2) outshot the Cowgirls 18-12. The Grizzlies’ next match is Sunday, at the University of Portland. Their next home match is Sept. 2 against Division II MSU-Billings.