Montana
Top-seed Montana stunned by Sacramento State on penalty kicks in Big Sky soccer semifinals
MISSOULA — The Sacramento State Hornets stunned the top-seeded Montana Grizzlies on their home field Friday in the Big Sky Conference soccer tournament semifinal round at South Campus Stadium.
Scoreless after regulation and two overtime periods, the Hornets prevailed 4-3 in penalty kicks to seal the win and earn their ticket to Sunday’s championship game against Idaho. The Vandals topped Portland State 2-1 in the first semifinal Friday.
Slim Kimmel / MTN Sports
Montana’s Bayliss Flynn, the newly crowned Big Sky goalkeeper of the year, was solid for Montana with five total saves — four in the first half — as the Hornets poured on the pressure early, while the Grizzlies found a few openings but were off the mark.
PHOTOS: MONTANA DROPS HEARTBREAKER TO SACRAMENTO STATE IN BIG SKY SOCCER SEMIFINALS
Montana ramped up the offensive chances in the second half, including a free kick from Ally Henrikson that was centimeters from going in but hit the top crossbar just enough to bounce out before defenders cleared the ball.
From there, the teams traded chances but no one could score, so it all came down to penalty kicks.
Montana’s Maddie Ditta and Charley Boone started things off strong with conversions for the Grizzlies, and UM took a 2-1 lead after Sac State’s Madelyn Dougherty hit the crossbar.
Then, fresh off the sidelines as a new goalkeeper after not having played all game, Sierra Sonko saved an attempt from UM’s Bella O’Brien and Erika Tilford tied it up at 2-2 for the Hornets.
Sonko saved the next attempt again, this one from Hayley Bass, and Ariana Scholten gave the Hornets the lead.
After Montana’s Chloe Seelhoff made it 3-3, Sydney Sharts stepped up to the ball with a chance to seal the win for the Hornets, and she did just that as she got it past Flynn in the bottom left corner, which sent Sac State’s team into jubilation as they completed the upset of the hosting Grizzlies.
Izzy Palmatier finished with seven saves for the Hornets in 110 minutes between regulation and overtime. The Hornets put up 15 shots, five on goal, while UM mustered 16 shots with seven on goal.
The Grizzlies, who won the regular-season Big Sky title for the second consecutive year, saw their season come to a close with a 12-2-5 record. Friday’s loss snapped a 15-match home unbeaten streak for Montana.
Idaho and Sac State will play at 1 p.m. on Sunday at South Campus Stadium with the winner earning a bid to this year’s NCAA tournament.
HEBGEN LAKE, Mont. — A man was rescued after nearly drowning while swimming in Rainbow Point, located 10 miles north of West Yellowstone.
The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, along with Hebgen Basin Rural EMS personnel and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, responded to reports of a swimmer in distress.
Officials say bystanders saw a man become unresponsive while swimming roughly 100 yards off the shoreline.
They, along with a boating group, located the man, pulled him out of the water, and performed life-saving measures until first responders arrived.
The man was airlifted to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. Officials say he is in critical condition.
The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office released the following information:
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 12, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from July 12 drawing
09-17-22-29, Bonus: 11
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 12 drawing
12-21-39-46-48, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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