Soccer In Snow & Smoke

Griz soccer stars Maddie Ditta and Charley Boone, plus head coach Chris Citowicki, joined the show as Montana heads into the conference tournament.

It's official -- the Montana Grizzlies are back-to-back Big Sky Conference regular-season champions. Head coach Chris Citowicki joined the podcast to reflect on the accomplishment and look forward to a momentous conference tournament.

Princeton transfer Jen Estes has been one of the top offensive players in the Big Sky Conference, with six goals and four assists so far for Montana. In this episode, she talks adapting to a new school, the Grizzlies' crucial final week of play and much more.

Ava Samuelson has been a star on the left side for Montana soccer since coming to Missoula four years ago. In this episode, Samuelson talks about arriving in Missoula, learning from one of the program's all-time greats, and how the Griz have adapted to keep their winning ways going this season.

Montana's new formation has unlocked Washington transfer Chloe Seelhoff, who has four goals in the last three games. In this episode, Seelhoff talks about her hot streak, playing with her older sister, a goalscorer's mentality and more.

Montana Grizzlies goalkeeper Bayliss Flynn has made a splash after replacing the injured Ashlyn Dvorak, with four shutouts in her first five starts. In this episode, the young keeper - and rising audio journalist at the Montana Kaimin - talks about her hot start and co-hosts a conversation with Griz associate head coach J Landham.

Griz soccer coach Chris Citowicki stops by the ESPN MT studios to break down the changes that resulted in a 4-0 win over North Dakota and preview the end of non-conference play. Plus: Montana forward Skyleigh Thompson, the reigning Big Sky Offensive MVP, talks playing for her home-state team, her path to stardom, the impact of team chemistry and much more.

Andrew Houghton catches up with Montana Grizzlies soccer coach Chris Citowicki after the Griz went 2-0 at the season-opening Rumble in the Rockies. This is the full version of the edited interview that ran on Nuanez Now on August 19, 2024.

Montana Grizzlies head coach Chris Citowicki visits the studio to provide a Griz update and preview a wild summer of soccer that includes the European championships, Copa America and the Olympics.

Whitefish achieved a rare double in Class A with both its boys and girls soccer teams taking home the state titles. In this episode, relive those seasons as Bulldogs boys coach John Lacey talks getting back to the top of the mountain (2:50), and girls coach Roland Benedict shares how his team was able to bounce back and break through after a title-game loss a year ago (22:39).

After a historic regular season, Montana Griz players Maddie Ditta and Charley Boone visited the ESPN MT studios to talk prepping for the conference tournament, the funniest player on the team and how the Griz put together their stellar defensive unit.

After a one-year sojourn at Villanova, goalkeeping coach J Landham is back on staff with the Montana Grizzlies. In a wide-ranging Soccer In Snow & Smoke, Landham talks about realizing the move that was best for his career wasn't best for him (1:30), using stats vs. the eye test (28:35), the new tactical trends he's seeing in the game (31:22), how Ashlyn Dvorak has filled Camellia Xu's shoes for the Griz (37:45) and much, much more!

Glen Wall, the guru of high school soccer stats in Montana, joined Andrew Houghton for an only slightly late preview of the 2023 Class AA soccer seasons. Glen and Andrew talked state-title contenders, stars who are gone and the players who might rise up in their absence to write the story of the 2023 season.

This summer on Nuanez Now, Colter Nuanez and Andrew Houghton caught up with both Montana Gatorade soccer players of the year - Bozeman Gallatin's Olivia Collins and Missoula Hellgate's Brady Reed - along with Missoula Sentinel goalkeeper Kassidy Kirgan. Now, you can listen to all three of those interviews in one place on Soccer In Snow & Smoke, featuring Olivia Collins on winning the first state title in Bozeman history and heading on to Boise State (3:17), Brady Reed on continuing Hellgate's dynasty and the opportunity that will force him to leave Montana (14:03), and Kassidy Kirgan on what it's like to both be a goalkeeper and have to take a penalty in a state semifinal shootout (26:44).

The Montana Grizzlies open their home schedule this weekend, including a huge game against Ohio State on Sunday. Griz head coach Chris Citowicki joins Soccer In Snow & Smoke for a World Cup wrap-up/Griz season preview, including thoughts on the ground shifting under the USWNT (8:17), why the NWSL doesn't bring World Cup stars over to the US (16:01), bouncing back from a disappointing season (20:42), a new Montana-made star at goalkeeper (25:32), what to watch for if you're going to the games this weekend (32:55) and much, much more.

Colin and Mike are two friends and former college teammates who have combined their passions to create The Footy Travelers, a podcast all about soccer and traveling the world. Live from Australia, they were kind enough to join me on Soccer In Snow & Smoke to talk all about their travel experiences at this year's Women's World Cup, an odyssey that includes tales of hiking and surfing, hunting wild pigs, sampling local cuisine, providing an alpine rescue and being in the stadium for the USWNT's shocking shootout loss to Sweden.

Meet Soccer In Snow & Smoke's New Zealand correspondents for the Women's World Cup! Live from Wellington, Missoula residents Caroline and Jeremy Lurgio tell us what it's like attending the games in person, how to put together a month-long trip to the other side of the world, and what they've seen from the group stage so far after catching one of the host nations, the USWNT and one of the games of the tournament.

Charlie VanDam and Gary Stein of Soccer Alliance Missoula visit the studio to chat about the Women's World Cup and let everybody know about Soccer Day, a free celebration of the game happening August 26 at Fort Missoula. Learn about the games, tournaments and plenty of other fun things happening on Soccer Day Missoula!

The Women's World Cup kicks off Thursday in Australia and New Zealand with 32 teams vying for the trophy. In this marathon preview pod, Chris Citowicki and Ashley Herndon of the Griz soccer coaching staff join Andrew Houghton to break down everything you need to know about the biggest tournament of the summer. Should the US women be the favorites as they shoot for their third consecutive title? Is this the year that traditional soccer powers rise up to challenge the USWNT? Who are the players to watch in every group? And much, much more!

Jordann Brown refereed her first soccer game when she was 8 years old, started reffing high school games as soon as she graduated from high school and now, at 30, might be the top ref in the state of Montana. In this episode of Soccer In Snow & Smoke, Jordann takes us inside the mind of a referee, sharing the official's unique, rarely-considered viewpoint of the game.

In her 10 years as head soccer coach at the University of Montana, Betsy Duerksen shaped a completely new program into the best team in the early years of Big Sky Conference women's soccer. In the second part of a two-part episode, Duerksen recalls those years at Montana, including the ways the Missoula community embraced a completely new program, the players who helped the Griz dominate the first years of the Big Sky Conference, and their historic NCAA Tournament win over Washington State in 2000.

When Betsy Duerksen took the women's soccer head coach at the University of Montana in 1994, the Grizzlies were just becoming a varsity team. But in 10 years under Duerksen, they went from a non-existent program to one of the first powers in Big Sky Conference women's soccer. In this first part of a two-part episode, Duerksen - a recently-announced member of this year's Grizzly Hall of Fame class - gives an update on where she is now and the path that took her from being an All-American midfielder at Boston College to the first-ever coach in Griz soccer history.

Former Montana defender Taylor Hansen spent the 2022 season with the San Diego Wave, playing alongside stars like Alex Morgan. Hansen stopped by the ESPN MT studios to talk about those experiences and update everybody on where she's going next.

J Landham is back, Camellia Xu is gone and four new transfers are here -- it's been a busy offseason for the Montana Grizzlies soccer program. Head coach Chris Citowicki joins Andrew Houghton in the studio for a spring update, including bulletins on players taking a step forward this winter, alumni playing professionally and much more.

If you've listened to Soccer In Snow & Smoke's episodes about high school soccer in Montana, you know his name -- Glen Wall, the operator of wallsoccer.net, which compiles scores, stats and standings from across the state. In this episode, Glen joins Andrew Houghton to talk about the labor of love that's seen him record info on every game in the Treasure State for the last 15 years, plus the biggest storylines from last year's high school season.

Former Bozeman High star and Montana Gatorade Player of the Year Averie Collins won a national championship at Stanford and then went on to play alongside USWNT stars in the NWSL, the highest level of women's professional soccer. In this episode, Collins joins Andrew Houghton to give an update on her career and look back on her journey from Montana to the very top of the game.

Just minutes after Argentina wins the World Cup in an instant classic against France, Andrew Houghton hits the studio for instant reactions on Lionel Messi finally winning the one trophy that's eluded him, Argentina holding up under unimaginable pressure and the future for Kylian Mbappe and France.

Just minutes after the final whistle blows in France's World Cup semifinal win, Montana Grizzlies head soccer coach Chris Citowicki joins Andrew Houghton for instant reactions to Les Bleus' 2-0 win over Morocco, Argentina's 3-0 win over Croatia, and the momentous World Cup final that sets up between Lionel Messi, looking to lead Argentina to his first World Cup, and Kylian Mbappe, hoping to make France the first back-to-back champions since the 1960s.

There are only eight teams left in this year's World Cup so, in the off days before the quarterfinals kick off, Soccer In Snow & Smoke is taking the opportunity to reset and regroup for the run to the final. Join two frequent guests, Ross McMonies and Chris Citowicki, as they go lightning-round style to break down the hits and misses from the group stage and the round of 16, as well as what to look for in this weekend's quarterfinal matchups.

Every World Cup is influenced by money. This one happens to be particularly so. University of Montana business professor Justin Angle joins the podcast to break down why Qatar would pay so much to host the World Cup and how the USMNT can transform from a good young team into household brand names.

Soccer In Snow & Smoke has prepped you to watch the World Cup. Now hear what it's like to actually be in Qatar as Andrew Houghton is joined by Marcus Cranston, USMNT superfan and Frenchtown native, who's currently attending his seventh World Cup. What's the fan experience like at one of the most heavily-scrutinized sporting events in history? Is it really that hard to get a beer in Doha? And what does the USMNT need to do to win its crucial group stage finale against Iran? All those questions and more, answered on this episode of Soccer In Snow & Smoke.

The final episode of Soccer In Snow & Smoke's World Cup previews features Ross McMonies breaking the team that many think will win it all, Brazil, as well as a fascinating Group H that contains Cristiano Ronaldo drama and three capable teams looking to knock Ronaldo's Portugal out of the tournament.

Montana Grizzlies head soccer coach Chris Citowicki is back in the studio to preview Groups E and F at this year's World Cup. Hear his thoughts on whether the falling dynasties of Group E can contend for another trophy, as well as a potential North American dark horse that could shake up Group F.

Soccer In Snow & Smoke's viewer's guide to the World Cup rolls on with Chris Citowicki, head coach of the Montana soccer team, breaking down Group C & D. Two teams in these groups are particularly close to Chris's heart, but listen in as he breaks down Argentina and France's chances of winning the trophy, plus a ferocious fight for El Tri in Group C and a potential European dark horse in Group D.

The World Cup is here, and we'll have coverage of the biggest sporting event in the world all month long on Soccer In Snow & Smoke. Getting things started: Roland Benedict, fresh off coaching the Whitefish girls to a state runner-up finish, breaks down Groups A & B. Listen along as Roland and Andrew Houghton explain the curious case of the hosts, Qatar, pinpoint what the US needs to do to get out of the group, and talk themselves into one dark-horse team from these two groups being an actual contender to win the whole thing.

Another high school soccer season has come to a close in Montana, and in this episode of Soccer In Snow & Smoke, Andrew Houghton reviews the fall by catching up with the teams who were left victorious at the end of the state tournaments. Hear from Hellgate boys coach Jay Anderson (0:11), as well as the captains who helped the Knights win their historic fourth straight state title (9:06). In Class AA girls, Joel Ganey and Bozeman Gallatin won the first crown in program history (17:21), while in Class A, hear from Columbia Falls boys coach O'Brien Byrd (33:45) after the WildKats snapped a 17-year title drought and Billings Central girls coach Nolan Trafton (45:46) after the Rams won their record-tying 10th overall state championship.

It was almost a season review episode, but Chris Citowicki and the Montana soccer team are still alive and heading to the Big Sky Conference tournament next week after getting some help on the final day of the regular season. In this episode, a peek behind the curtain at what went wrong for the Griz this season and why Citowicki thinks they might still have a run left in them.

Do you know when the first recorded soccer game in Missoula took place? What about the history of prisoners playing at the internment camps at Fort Missoula? In this episode of Soccer In Snow & Smoke, Andrew Houghton learns about the history of soccer in Missoula from Sophia Etier, a historian with Americorps and the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula. Plus, an update on the Montana Grizzlies' struggles and the high school soccer landscape as the Class AA state tournaments prepare to kick off.

Andrew Houghton and Montana Grizzlies head soccer coach Chris Citowicki are digging deep on the Griz after their first weekend of Big Sky Conference play, touching on why Chris thought his team played better in a loss than a win, the benefits and drawbacks of playing two defensive midfielders, and how the conference has gotten more competitive. Plus, Andrew gives a comprehensive update on standings, top scorers and contenders from every level of Montana high school soccer, and Andrew and Chris debate the ethics of the Qatar World Cup.

St. Peter's? Please. The best underdog story in American sports this year was Sacramento Republic FC, which became the first non-MLS team to make the US Open Cup final since 2008. Our man Cameron Salerno of the Sacramento Bee had a front-row seat to the Cinderella run and in this episode, he explains just how unlikely it was and takes us inside the stadium during Sac Republic's electric semifinal win over Sporting Kansas City.

The not-really-a-preview high school soccer preview rolls on, with this episode of Soccer In Snow & Smoke focusing on this year's girls soccer scene around Montana. Andrew Houghton catches up with Sentinel head coach Dan Lochridge (3:45), Bozeman head coach Erika Cannon (14:09) and Whitefish head coach Roland Benedict (24:01).

Okay, okay, it's not a preview, given that the 2022 high school soccer season has already kicked off around Montana. But in this episode of Soccer In Snow & Smoke, we're going in depth on the prep soccer landscape in the Treasure State, focusing first on the boys side of things. Andrew Houghton is joined by Hellgate coach Jay Anderson (2:25), whose Knights are going for a fourth-straight Class AA state title; Billings West coach Luke Ashmore (15:33), whose Golden Bears have to contend with Eastern AA power Bozeman; and Columbia Falls head coach O'Brien Byrd (26:19), whose Wildkats are ranked No. 1 in Class A as they try to snap Whitefish's historic streak of four-straight state championships.

Hosting Creighton and Pittsburgh for the Rumble in the Rockies was a tough way to start the season for Montana — and exactly the test that Griz head coach Chris Citowicki wanted. In this episode, Citowicki and Andrew Houghton share their takeaways from the Grizzlies' opening weekend, including the debut of a possible freshman phenom and the tactical reasons why Citowicki was encouraged with a 2-0 loss.

There was no World Cup this summer, but the soccer world certainly wasn't quiet. In this episode, Ross McMonies swings by the studio to help break down the biggest stories of the summer, including transfer drama at the top of the Premier League (3:46), Barcelona's financial house of cards (10:24), the breakthrough success of the women's Euro championships (21:23) and plenty more!

Soccer In Snow & Smoke returns with a primer for Missoula Soccer Day, a free pick-up soccer event organized by Charlie Vandam and Soccer Alliance Missoula. Chris Citowicki also stops by for a summer update on the Montana Grizzlies soccer team.

After being named Big Sky Goalkeeper of the Year and Tournament MVP in a scintillating redshirt freshman season for Montana, Camellia Xu joins Soccer In Snow & Smoke from deep in the heart of Texas, where she's playing for a semipro team this summer. In this episode, Xu and UM goalkeeping coach J Landham break down their unlikely paths to Missoula, the art of playing 'keeper and how it all came together in Xu's record-setting 2021 season.

Ross McMonies joins Andrew Houghton to talk about the big narratives in the Premier League as the season reaches its conclusion, including the scintillating title race between Manchester City and Liverpool, a shocking relegation contender, and what Ross would do if he were in Erik ten Hag's shoes at Manchester United.

Ashley Herndon's playing career included a Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year award at James Madison, an NWSL championship ring with the Portland Thorns and Champions League nights in Prague. Now, the Montana Grizzlies' newest assistant coach is hoping her experience can help Griz alums tread the same path from college to the pros. Herndon joined Andrew Houghton on the most recent episode of Soccer In Snow & Smoke.

In the second half of Soccer In Snow & Smoke's two-part interview with Mark Cranston, Frenchtown native and U.S. national team superfan, Cranston reminisces about the wildest stadium atmospheres that he's ever seen, plus the lingering pain from the USMNT's failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and what Cranston thinks about the team heading into this week's crucial qualifying games.

Beginning in the 1990s, Mark Cranston has traveled around the world to cheer on the United States men's national team. After first donning an eagle head and wings for a game at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, he's become instantly recognizable as Eagleman, maybe the USMNT's most famous fan. In the first part of a two-part interview on Soccer In Snow & Smoke, Cranston discusses his Montana roots, Eagleman's origin story, and scenes from the transformative 2006 World Cup. Stay tuned for Part 2, releasing later this week!

Grindavik is a tiny fishing town on the southern coast of Iceland. It's also where former Montana soccer players Caitlin Rogers and Mimi Eiden will be living for the next six months after both recently signed contracts to start their professional careers with the town's club team. In this episode of Soccer In Snow & Smoke, Andrew Houghton catches up with Rogers and Eiden just days before they leave for Iceland to talk about becoming professionals and the remarkable coincidence that landed them both at the same club.