In their second-ever game on their new field, the CORE Butte soccer team took the pitch earlier today against Quincy in a matchup that would decide second place in the league standings. The match kicked off just minutes after the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new sports complex, with most of the crowd from the celebration staying to watch.
The game opened with senior Ashlyn Hayes singing the national anthem as rain fell over the field. The opening whistle blew at 3:55, and Quincy was quick to put heavy pressure on the CORE Butte defense. The first half was a blur of close calls and great saves made by junior goalkeeper Carsten Balint. By halftime, it was still 0–0, with players on the bench joking that they were getting “mini heart attacks” watching all the close calls.
The second half began at 4:45, just as the rain let up, but Quincy quickly broke through. Starting in the 58th minute, they piled on five goals in just over 20 minutes, eventually sealing a 5–0 win. Despite the scoreline, Carsten finished with countless saves and was named Man of the Match by Coach Spears.
After the game,
Spears defended his team’s effort: “The score is not indicative of how the team played. I think we matched Quincy skill-wise…but they capitalized on our mistakes when we slipped up.”
Junior player Sam Boian added, “When the opposing team scored, we let it get to us, but we played good today.”
CORE Butte’s record falls to 3–6 on the season, while Quincy holds onto second place. The team will look to bounce back quickly with another home game this Thursday at 4:00 p.m. against Paradise Adventist Academy.
