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.