HELENA, Mont. - Thursday's battle between two teams likely to contend for the 2026 CCC title did not disappoint, as the Carroll men's soccer team fought its way back to earn a 1-1 draw with (RV) Rocky Mountain College in the late stages of the match.
Looking to bounce back from a pair of losses last week against top-15 schools in Indiana, the Fighting Saints (1-2-2, 0-0-1) found a way to grind out a draw with the Battlin' Bears (2-0-3, 0-0-1).
Playing without former CCC Offensive Player of the Year, Felix Billard (Mallorca, Spain / SR), due to a red card in the previous match, Carroll struggled to find much offense over the opening 45 minutes. While neither side would score in the first half, Rocky held an 8-5 lead in total shots at the break.
On the far side of the halftime break, it was the Bears who struck first. A penalty near the top end of the box led to a free kick opportunity well within scoring range for Rocky. Henry Chalkley managed to beat both the Carroll wall and keeper Dane Quinn (Helena, Mont. / JR) toward the left post, breaking the stalemate to give the Bears a 1-0 lead.
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From that point forward, the field and momentum shifted heavily in favor of the Saints. Carroll upped the pressure offensively over the final 25 minutes, hunting for an equalizer in front of a large crowd at Nelson Stadium.
In the 81st minute, Nils Benning (Kiel, Germany / SR) rattled the crossbar with a blast from outside the box, and Sam Loughton (East Yorkshire, England / SR) had an opportunity on a putback. Loughton's attempt went high, but it would not be Carroll's final chance at a goal.
Just minutes later, a scrum in the box saw the ball rattle around between several Saints and Bears. Eventually, Pedro Rivera (Mexico City, Mexico / SO) wound up with the ball and just enough space to fire off a shot. Rivera snuck one low through traffic and into the corner for his third goal of the season, evening the score at 1-1 with just eight minutes to play.
Loughton, who was shown a yellow card in the 79th minute, was given a second yellow during the celebration, forcing the Saints to play a man down for the sprint to the finish.
Both sides had their chances in the late stages, but neither broke free as the in-state rivals finished with a 1-1 draw.
Dane Quinn finished with a pair of saves on the night while playing all 90 minutes in net for the Saints.
Carroll will be without Loughton for next Thursday's match against Northwest in Helena, but Billard will return to action as the Saints look to pick up their first CCC win of the year.
