MISSOULA — The Montana soccer program has won the past two Big Sky Conference regular-season championships, going unbeaten in league in 2023 and ’24, and the Big Sky coaches expect more of the same from the Grizzlies this fall.
Montana picked up six of nine first-place votes and topped this year’s Big Sky preseason poll, the league office announced Monday. It’s the second consecutive year the Grizzlies have topped the poll, the eighth time overall.
Montana is trying to become the first program in league history to win three consecutive outright titles.
Eastern Washington, Idaho, Northern Arizona and Sacramento State round out the poll’s top five, with the Eagles picking up two first-place votes, and the Hornets, who knocked Montana out of last year’s Big Sky tournament on their way to the postseason title, collecting the other.
Montana will be challenged early in its Big Sky schedule, opening league with a night match at Northern Arizona, then, in Week 2, playing on the road at Eastern Washington and Idaho.
The Grizzlies have gone 13-0-3 in league the last two seasons but have not defeated the Eagles, playing them to 1-1 draws in both 2023 and ’24.
Idaho has finished second behind Montana the last two seasons, going 10-4-2 in league.
The Grizzlies get Northern Colorado, Weber State, Idaho State and Sacramento State at home in 2025 before hosting the Big Sky tournament in Missoula for the second straight year in November.
Montana was picked first in previous preseason polls in 2024, 2020, 2001, 2000, 1999, ’98 and ’97.
The Grizzlies had four of the 12 players on the first-ever preseason All-Big Sky team, with midfielders Maddie Ditta and Chloe Seelhoff, defender Ally Henrikson and goalkeeper Bayliss Flynn being recognized. Idaho, Portland State and Sacramento State each had two selections.
Eastern Washington senior forward Chloe Pattison, who led the league last year with 11 goals, was named the preseason MVP.
Ditta was voted first-team All-Big Sky last season, Seelhoff, who scored six goals last season and is the league’s second-leading returning goal scorer behind Pattison, was voted second-team.
Henrikson leads a defense that recorded a program-record 14 shutouts last fall and has allowed only 19 goals in 38 matches the last two seasons.
Flynn, who hadn’t played in a collegiate match before September of last season, went 9-0-5 in 2024 with 11 shutouts in 14 games, leading the NCAA in save percentage (.925).
She was voted the Big Sky goalkeeper of the year and first-team all-league.
Montana opens its regular-season schedule hosting Southern Utah at 5 p.m. on Thursday at South Campus Stadium, where the Grizzlies are unbeaten (14-0-2) in their last 16 matches.
2025 Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Montana (6) … 60
2. Eastern Washington (2) … 52
3. Idaho … 49
T4. Northern Arizona … 39
T4. Sacramento State (1) … 39
6. Weber State … 27
7. Northern Colorado … 26
8. Portland State … 22
9. Idaho State … 10
2025 Preseason All-Big Sky Conference Team
FWD: Chloe Pattison, EWU (Preseason MVP)
FWD: Micala Boex, NAU
FWD: Aliayha Saldana, PSU
MID: Annika Farley, UI
MID: Chloe Seelhoff, UM
MID: Maddie Ditta, UM
MID: Ellie Farber, SAC
DEF: Izzy Thoma, UI
DEF: Ally Henrikson, UM
DEF: Liv Frazier, PSU
DEF: Sydney Sharts, SAC
GK: Bayliss Flynn, UM
