BILLINGS — The soccer season came to an unceremonious end for the Butte High Bulldogs Saturday at Amend Park.
The Bulldogs were swept by Billings Senior in Eastern AA playoff matches. Senior won the boys’ match 5-0. The Broncs won the girls’ match 3-0.
It was just a coincidence the teams played the same opponent.
Boys’ match
Billings heavily outshot the Bulldogs en route to the victory.
Marcus Jolovich scored two second-half goals as Senior broke open a match that was 1-0 at the break.
“Midway through the first half we had about five shots that went off the post,” Butte High coach Eric Zahler said. “We also controlled the flow of the game before senior scored on a corner kick. That took the wind out of our sail.”
Sage D’Ambrosia put Senior on top at 1-0 in the 38th minute. Strom Nuernberger and Ethan Brown added goals in the second half.
Zahler said he went to a 3-5-2 attack after falling down 2-0, and it cost the Bulldogs the final three goals.
Butte High goalkeeper Noah Johnston tallied four saves.
The match closed the career of seniors Jonahtan Sholey, Riley McNabb, Culle Sehulster, Noah Loomis, Jack Staples, and Jake Howery. Howery missed most of the season with an injury.
Butte High ended the season at 1-11-1. Senior (7-2-4) heads to the Class AA State tournament.
Girls’ match
The Bulldogs played solid defense.
Senior Natalee Faupel, who was moved to goalkeeper because on an injury to Taylor Lovell earlier in the season, collected 10 saves.
The Bulldogs (0-12-1), though, couldn’t muster the offense to overcome the high-powered Broncs.
Sarah Coghlan, Alex Harvey and Chloe Rector scored to lead Senior (11-2-0) to the Class AA State tournament.
The match closes the career for Faupel, Lovell and classmates Kaitlyn Ackerman, Kaitlyn Bennett, Emily Cleverly, Alberta Dean, Ciara Norman, Baylee Reighard, Mattie Scott and Katey Walsh.
