MISSOULA — The Montana Grizzlies celebrated senior day with their 10th win of the season as UM topped Sacramento State 1-0 at South Campus Stadium on Sunday.
UM improved to 10-3-3 and remains in first place in the Big Sky Conference standings with one game remaining in the regular season.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
"It's sentimental, I can't believe it's already my fourth year," senior midfielder Maddie Ditta said. "It's been a blast all these years so I'm happy to spend it as a Griz. Just to finish it off with a win, I was so happy and the team just pulled it together and I'm happy for them too."
The breakthrough came in the 62nd minute as Lydia Robertson weaved through the defense and found Caylee Kerr, who scored her first career college goal to give UM the breathing room it needed to seal the victory.
Keeper Ashlyn Dvorak pitched another shutout effort as she finished with six saves on the day.
"I'm really close with my class and I'm going to miss playing with them very much," said Dvorak, who was celebrated with the seniors but announced she'll be back next season. "I keep saying to everybody do it for those who can't because there are quite a few girls on our team that are out on injury right now.
"It's really unfortunate but we need to honor them and make sure that we're playing every minute on the field for them and for everybody else on the team too. We need to do it for each other, not for ourselves."
UM started the game off celebrating the team's seniors, and to kick off the game, players who have had their seasons cut short due to injury got the first touches of the match to begin the game before they were subbed out in what was an emotional moment for a program that has dealt with it's fair share of players going down with serious injury throughout the season.
"They've gone through so much, they've gone through more than any other senior class that I've known and it was a day that is heavy on the heart and a lot of high emotions going into the game," Kerr said. "All of us were like, we're playing for the seniors today and we need to go out and get this win for them."
"Way too emotional. I try to bottle up my emotions and be unhealthy that way but everything came out today," coach Chris Citowicki added. "An amazing group of people that have given so much and it hurts so bad to not let Reeve (Borseth) play, to not have Kayla (Rendon Bushmaker) going, to not have Chloe (Seelhoff) on the field. To be missing those people just hurts us but that's also our strength at the same time.
"That's why Caylee gives so much, that's why Lydia gives so much because they know they have to because the other ones cannot. So as much as it's hurt us, it's forced us to develop other players who are now, whatever I have to do to make sure she goes out on a high, that's what they're doing."
UM closes out the regular season at Portland State on Thursday.
