OGDEN, Utah -- The top-seeded Weber State women's soccer team (9-9-2) moved to the Big Sky Conference Championship Match on Thursday afternoon with a 1-0 win over No. 4-seeded Montana (6-11-2) in the second semifinal match of the day at Wildcat Soccer Field.

The Wildcats used a 17th minute goal by forward Whitney Smith to provide the offense and then hung on as Montana pressed for the equalizer.

"We played a great first half," said WSU head coach Tim Crompton. "The second half we weren't connecting, but we knew that they were going to come out and throw extra players into the attack. We were able to counter several times and got some great looks, but we didn't do anything with them."

Smith's goal was her sixth of the season, moving her into the team lead in the category. The senior from Ogden, Utah took a ball played to the left by Molli Neilson and cut back to the center of the box. Her shot from 14 yards out struck the inside of the left post and ricocheted in for her third game-winner of the year.

The 'Cats had another good look in the 29th minute as Alyssa Foutz fired a shot from about 25 yards. Alyssa's ball also struck the frame, only the right post was not as kind as the ball stayed out and was cleared by the Grizzlies.

Kaitlyn Heinsohn provided the Grizzlies best scoring chance of the day in the 39th minute. Heinsohn launched a shot from just outside the top right corner of the 18 and only a diving stab by WSU goalkeeper Rebecca Ritchie kept the bending shot from finding the left side of the Wildcat net.

The save was one of four made by Ritchie, the conference's Defensive MVP, on the day as she posted her eighth shutout of the season. The eight clean sheets by Ritchie this year is the most in a single season by a Wildcat goalkeeper since Meagan Thunell recorded 9.5 in the 1998 season.

The Wildcats will advance to Saturday's championship match to take on Northern Arizona, who defeated Portland State 1-0 in the first semifinal of the day. Saturday's match will begin at 1:00 p.m.