Soccer In Snow & Smoke: Recent Episodes
ESPN Missoula
Soccer, football, the beautiful game. Whatever you call it, we're talking about it on Soccer in Snow & Smoke, the new soccer podcast from Andrew Houghton and ESPN Missoula. From the Griz to local high schools and youth programs, soccer culture is strong in the Garden City. We'll cover all of it, plus whatever else happens in the wide world of soccer.
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.
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.
In this episode of Soccer In Snow & Smoke, University of Montana business professor Justin Angle joins Andrew Houghton for a wide-ranging conversation about the economic structure of world soccer. What are the financial incentives in a sport with no draft or salary cap? What American sport does it have surprising similarities to? And what's Justin's answer to the eternal question: Will soccer make it in America?
Jay Risser, a youth coach at FC Missoula, joins Andrew Houghton on this edition of Soccer In Snow & Smoke to talk about his playing career as a towering striker at Penn State, the strong soccer culture that's growing in Missoula and around the West, and how best to coach a team of 7- to 10-year-old girls.
On this pre-Christmas episode of Soccer In Snow & Smoke, Andrew Houghton is joined by Ross McMonies, the executive director of the Missoula Strikers club program. Ross talks about growing up in Glasgow, Scotland, amid one of the fiercest rivalries in sports, along with how to come up with a consistent coaching philosophy for a program that has over 300 kids and what's he's thought about the Premier League at midseason.
In this episode of Soccer In Snow & Smoke, Andrew Houghton and Jackson Wagner, the voice of the Montana soccer team, break down the Grizzlies' first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Washington State. Jackson gives his verdict on another successful year for the Griz and how they can build on it going into next season. In the second half of the show, Andrew and Jackson preview the MLS playoffs — including why the best team in the regular season might not be the favorite to win MLS Cup — recap an up-and-down week for the US men's national team, and share their best Carli Lloyd memories.
It's all about the champions in this edition of Soccer In Snow & Smoke, the new podcast from ESPN Missoula Radio. First, Montana head coach Chris Citowicki joins Andrew Houghton and Colter Nuanez as the Griz celebrate their Big Sky tournament championship and prepare for their opening-round NCAA Tournament game against Washington State. All four high school state champions are also represented, with Hellgate players Marcus Anderson and Loren Deskins, Billings West girls coach Rob Zimmerman, Whitefish boys coach John Lacey and Laurel girls coach Tom Maack recapping their journeys to state-title glory.
It's the final weekend of the Big Sky Conference regular season, and Montana soccer still has a shot at the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. Head coach Chris Citowicki and wingback Taylor Hansen came on the Soccer In Snow & Smoke podcast to break down the Grizzlies' massive two games against Weber State and Idaho State, recap the season and talk about the path that Hansen hopes to take from Missoula to professional soccer.
State tournaments start in less than a week, and that means it's time for a prep soccer extravaganza on Soccer In Snow & Smoke, the new soccer podcast from ESPN Missoula. Andrew Houghton is joined by Hellgate girls coach Natalie Hiller-Claridge, Sentinel girls coach Dan Lochridge and Hellgate boys coach Jay Anderson to give you all the knowledge about the high school soccer landscape across the state. How are the brackets starting to shape up? Can the Hellgate and Sentinel girls build off strong seasons? And will Anderson's unbeaten Knights seal the deal on a third-straight state championship?
In this episode of Soccer In Snow & Smoke, the new podcast from ESPN Missoula, Andrew Houghton is joined by two people with unique perspectives on the game. First, TV reporter Adrian Luevano talks about growing up with Mexican heritage in California and how that's shaped his fandom for both countries' national teams. Then, high school soccer coach Liam Pope breaks down his semi-pro playing career in England, his decades-long love of Manchester United and how Cristiano Ronaldo's return to the Red Devils came full circle.
Montana Grizzlies head coach Chris Citowicki has taken the Griz to two NCAA Tournaments in three seasons. In this edition of Soccer in Snow & Smoke, Citowicki joins Andrew Houghton for an in-depth discussion about the Grizzlies' unique 3-5-2 formation, how he recruits to win, where he eventually wants to take the program and much more.
In the debut episode of Soccer in Snow & Smoke, the new soccer podcast from ESPN Missoula, Andrew Houghton welcomes in Jackson Wagner, the voice of Montana Grizzlies soccer, to discuss the first few games of the season. Later in the show, the two cover the impact of Lionel Messi's summer transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, plus a successful summer for the United States men's national team and the early returns from around the European leagues.