HURON, S.D. – Four matches into the season, the Spearfish Spartans boys soccer team has yet to experience a loss. Spearfish swept its weekend road trip through eastern South Dakota, defeating the Mitchell Kernels 4-2 on Friday before grinding out a 1-0 victory over the Huron Tigers on Saturday. The two wins improved the Spartans to 3-0-1 and continued an unbeaten start that began with a 2-1 victory over Tea Area and a 1-1 draw against Aberdeen Central.
Spartans Pull Away From Mitchell
Friday’s matchup in Mitchell began as a defensive battle. Neither team found the back of the net during the opening half, sending Spearfish and Mitchell into halftime scoreless.
That changed quickly after the break. Spearfish came out aggressively, and Caleb Verhulst broke the tie with 39:24 remaining, putting the Spartans ahead 1-0. The pressure continued.
Evan Duncan, who also scored in Spearfish’s draw against Aberdeen Central, found the back of the net with 31 minutes remaining to double the Spartans’ advantage.
Spearfish wasn’t finished. With 16:07 remaining, Ethan Croff converted a penalty kick to make it 3-0, putting the Spartans in position to cruise to their second victory of the season.
Mitchell had other plans. The Kernels finally broke through with 5:26 remaining, scoring on a header to cut the Spearfish lead to 3-1.
Less than 30 seconds later, Mitchell struck again. A high-arcing shot found the back of the net, suddenly cutting what had been a comfortable three-goal advantage to 3-2. The door was open. Jonah Gatz slammed it shut. With 2:40 remaining, Gatz delivered the response Spearfish needed, finding the back of the net to push the lead back to two goals and seal the 4-2 victory.
Arsaga’s Long-Range Goal Lifts Spartans Over Huron
Less than 24 hours later, Spearfish found itself in a completely different kind of match. Goals were much harder to come by Saturday against Huron. The Spartans and Tigers battled through a scoreless first half, and the 0-0 deadlock continued deep into the second. As the clock wound down, one shot changed everything. With 10:50 remaining, Brekken Arsaga launched a shot from approximately 30 yards out and found the back of the net, breaking the tie and giving Spearfish a 1-0 advantage. This time, one goal was all the Spartans needed. Spearfish protected the lead the rest of the way, completing the weekend sweep with a 1-0 victory and improving to 3-0-1. Through four matches, the Spartans have now found different ways to earn results. They’ve won close matches, survived a late comeback attempt, played to a draw and found the decisive goal in a defensive battle. Most importantly, they’re heading home still unbeaten.
Sioux Falls Teams Coming to Spearfish
Both the Spearfish boys and girls soccer teams return home for another two-match weekend at Black Hills Power Sports Complex. The Spartans will host Sioux Falls Washington on Friday, Aug. 28, with the girls scheduled to play at 4 p.m. MT. Spearfish will then face Sioux Falls Lincoln on Saturday, Aug. 29, with the girls scheduled for a 10 a.m. MT start.
After a successful road trip for both programs, the Spartans return to the Black Hills with momentum. The Spearfish girls picked up their first victory of the season with a 9-0 win over Huron, while the boys will put their undefeated record on the line against a pair of Sioux Falls programs.