UM Soccer wins one, loses one in weekend games

The opening weekend of Big Sky Conference play was bittersweet for the University of Montana soccer team.

The Griz defeated the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks on Friday afternoon 4-0 before falling to Northern Colorado 2-1 on Sunday.

In Friday’s match-up, senior forward Lindsay Winans scored three goals in 18 minutes in the second half to lead the Griz to victory. It was the second hat trick of her career and only the 15th in school history.

“Scoring goals are always great, no matter how or when they come,” Winans said. “It’s always fun to score.”

Montana head coach Neil Sedgwick said Winans continues to score at the right times.

“She’s very strong, her energy was much better (Friday) than it has been,” he said. “Look where it got her.”

Winans’ first goal came in the 57th minute off of a corner kick from Kristina Lamberty. Senior defender Kelly Fullerton would follow up with a goal of her own off a free kick a minute later. Winans last two goals came in the 74th and 75th minutes to wrap up the fourth consecutive win for Montana.

“Our team definitely has the desire to win in us,” Winans said. “We’re hungry to win, and we want to be the best team every game.”

UM freshman goalie Grace Harris also grabbed her fourth consecutive shutout, and credited her teammates.

“I’m not very happy with the way I played today, but the strikers and defenders played at their best,” Harris said. “I didn’t have to do it.”

Harris had one save, the fewest number of saves in a single game in school history.

Sedgwick said the win was a positive way to start conference play, but added it was only the beginning.

“It’s one game in a long conference season,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of battles to fight.”

One battle would be fought less than 48 hours later, when conference newcomer Northern Colorado came to town.

Wasting little time, forward Marcie Johnson scored a goal in the 8th minute to put the Bears up 1-0. Johnson’s goal marked the first time the Griz have been scored on at home this season.

In the 36th minute, Montana answered back when Fullerton scored her second goal in three days off a corner kick from sophomore Meghan Chambers. The score would be tied for only another 19 minutes, though, before Johnson, who was starting for the first time in her career, notched another goal.

Bears head coach Tim Barrera said he was pleased with the way Johnson played.

“She’s not very big, but she gives us a lot of energy and good speed,” he said. “That caused some problems for the Montana (defenders).”

Fullerton said the Griz will have to learn from their mistakes and move forward.

“We’ll just have to come out the next game and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” she said.

The Griz are now 7-6 overall and 1-1 in the Big Sky Conference.