Today in the Mining City, for the first time ever, a high school soccer match was played inside Bulldog Memorial Stadium. The field looks great and the grass is much healthier than the fields at Jeremy Bullock Memorial.
The Butte High Bulldogs hosted the Missoula Sentinel Spartans and battled to a 2-2 tie. The stadium has been mostly unused in the fall with the football team now playing at Naranche Stadium.
In the stadium that is known for track stars and speed, Butte High came out fast on their new home field and scored two goals in the first few minutes of the game. Goalkeeper Joe Schrader fed Boyd Dewitt on a big through ball and then Cameron Tobiness took the ball from the Spartan defense and set up Jack Luoma for their second goal. The rest of the first half went back and forth with both teams having numerous chances to score. The Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead into halftime.
The Spartans came out inspired in the second half and controlled the midfield with their ball control and possession. Still the Bulldogs had many fast break counters and could have added to their lead. Both goalkeepers had except games with many saves each. Sentinel scored on a corner kick header and another quick counter following a throw in deep in their half of the field. The Bulldogs had chances at the end to regain the lead but couldn’t find the net again.
Coach Carpenter shared, “while the atmosphere was nothing like a football game at Naranche, it was exciting to play soccer in a stadium. We had some extra fans come out today, and we sure appreciate the support. It was much louder than our typical home games.”
“On defense, Cooper McKee saved 2 goals himself and Joe Schrader played excellent in the net today. Cameron Tobiness was all over the field today. Riley Doyle and Mack Williams, once again, played so hard and consistent in the middle. I tried to mix up our lineup a bit to conserve our team’s energy. Still, because Sentinel had the ball more than we did, they began to wear us down in the second half.”
“We hope to get another shot at the Spartans in the playoffs,” Coach Carpenter said after the game.
The Bulldogs have not beaten the Spartans since rejoining the Western AA in 2019.
Next up, the Bulldogs host Kalispell Glacier for senior day on October 13 at 3:30 pm again at Bulldog Memorial.
