The 2024 season was a historic one for the Butte College men’s soccer team as they reached the CCCAA State Championship for the first time in the program’s short history, eventually finishing as runners up, cementing their position as the school’s most successful athletic program.
Coach Ross Sandberg and assistant coach Austin Matthews took home the award for Coaching Staff of the Year as the team finished as the #1 ranked Junior College soccer team in the final national poll.
From Butte College Men’s Soccer Instagram, Feb 14 2025
Speaking to the Chico Enterprise Record, Coach Sandberg attributed the award to his squad, crediting their “tenacity, willingness, sacrifice and resilience” over the 27-game season, 19 of which were played away from home. He cited the “uniting experience” players and coaches were part of, as they spent 14 of 18 days during the playoffs moving between hotel rooms. He lauded the “coachability” of his squad and the seamless integration of assistant coach and Butte College Men’s Soccer alumni Austin Matthews into the system in his first year in the role.
Multiple players also received individual honors, as midfielder/forward Lenny Dupouyet added a First Team All-American selection to his back-to-back Golden Valley Conference MVP awards. He was joined on the All-American First Team by center-back and captain Elias Stingl, who also lined his award cabinet with the GVC Defensive Player of the Year prize, as two Butte players were named to the All-American First Team for the first time in the program’s history. The pair were joined on the GVC All-Conference First Team by midfielder Marco Arduino and center-back Gustav Lading, while right-back Tommaso Duri and striker Eugenio Kunz were picked for the All-Conference Second Team.
From Butte College Men’s Soccer Instagram, Feb 14 2025
The team is somewhat of an exception amongst its competitors as a large portion of the squad is comprised of international students from countries as varied as Spain, New Zealand, Italy, Ireland and Chile. Speaking from personal experience, the bond developed between the team as they all share similar experiences of living, studying and playing abroad aids to form unique chemistry other teams simply don’t have.
Sandberg’s side started the season slowly, being forced to wait until the third game of the campaign to record their first victory – a hard-fought 1-0 win away at a resolute De Anza side following a 1-1 draw at Modesto and a 1-0 defeat at home to Cosumnes River. Two more losses were to come at the hands of Evergreen Valley and Hartnell, before a late Eugenio Kunz brace to rescue a 2-1 win away at Marin breathed life into the Roadrunners’ season, kickstarting a run of 15 games with only one loss.
Late drama was a fixture throughout, as injury time goals from Kunz and Gustav Lading salvaged a 2-2 draw at home to rivals Lake Tahoe, and a sensational three goal second-half comeback at American River ensured the team carried momentum into the deciding period of the season.
A crucial 1-0 away victory at conference champions Feather River thanks to a Lenny Dupouyet goal in the final game of the regular season set the tone for the playoff campaign. A rematch with American River awaited in the driving rain at Harrison Stadium, Oroville in the first round. Sandberg’s team flew out of the blocks, ruthlessly dispatching the team from Sacramento in a comfortable 4-0 win.
A trip to Cupertino to face De Anza was next on the cards, as captain Elias Stingl notched his first-ever goal for Butte from the penalty spot, followed by a fine finish from winger Matteo DiGennaro to seal an impressive 2-0 victory and set up a clash with Fresno City College for the chance to compete in the NorCal Regional Final.
Another long away trip became even longer than planned, as adverse pitch conditions meant that the Fresno tie was postponed a day, leaving the Roadrunners in the lurch and scrambling to secure hotel rooms for a second night. The match eventually went ahead, with Fresno emerging into a 2-0 lead in the first half. Butte heads never dropped however, and well-worked goals from Shahin Adwan and Elias Stingl drew them level before the break. The second half was evenly matched, before Stef Garcia raced clear of the Fresno defense and slipped a neat finish under the keeper to send his side through, booking a date with #2 seed Skyline College to etch their names into school history.
A sublime solo strike from DiGennaro alongside goals from Stingl and Dupouyet propelled the team to a 3-1 win away to Skyline, confirming the team’s historic status as the first Butte team ever to reach the California State Championship.
The Roadrunners returned to the familiar surroundings of the stadium at American River College, Sacramento to face SoCal champions Long Beach in a tie where they were largely regarded as rank underdogs. Sandberg’s team were unphased, and a solid defensive performance left the sides locked at 0-0 as extra time drew near. However, Butte’s resilience paid dividends as Matteo DiGennaro was able to latch onto a loose pass at the back and slot home to notch his fourth goal of the playoff run and send his team to the promised land of the CCCAA State Championship Final.
The final proved to be the clash of the underdogs, as #14 seed Butte faced the #10 seed in the South, Cuyamaca, with both sides looking for their first state title. The Southern California outfit eventually proved to have too much for Butte despite a typically brave and tenacious performance, running out 2-0 winners to seal their first title.
The future is bright for the soccer program as a number of key players return for their sophomore season next year, while a promising recruiting window is sure to further bolster ranks as Sandberg aims to guide his team on a similar run in 2025.
