You don’t have to score goals or dish out assists with regularity to make an impact on the soccer pitch. Every position matters — and Endicott College sophomore standout Spencer Butterworth is certainly well aware of that.
A former star midfielder at Masconomet, Butterworth entered the college ranks with an open mind, aiming to do whatever necessary to help his new team succeed. He suited up for just five games as a freshman behind a talented group of upperclassmen, but this past fall got the opportunity to show what he can do on a daily basis.
Moving to center back per his coach’s request, Butterworth immediately became an irreplaceable leader and contributor on defense. Despite never having played defense in his lengthy futbol career, Butterworth accepted the challenge and helped guide the Gulls to a 12-5-4 record and a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) regular season title to boot.
By season’s end, the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder had garnered All-CCC First Team honors while earning a nod to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region Third Team.
“They definitely came as a surprise,” Butterworth said of the honors. “There’s a lot of really talented players on my team, and the reason I was able to have success was because of the talent around me. Everyone pushed me every day to get better, and my coach (Joe Calabrese) pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow as a person and a player.”
Butterworth started all 19 games he played and was even able to find the back of the net off a corner kick for his first collegiate goal.
“Our coach does a really good job of putting us in the right position to succeed, but it was definitely surprising for me to score that one since I hadn’t scored since high school,” said Butterworth, who had five goals and four assists as a senior at Masco while taking home NEC and Salem News all-star accolades.
While the goal was undoubtedly a nice bonus, Butterworth knows his main focus is no longer to rip the twine.
And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Learning from his elder teammates — he singled out Cam Rigney — and phenomenal coaching staff, Butterworth soon realized his game was a natural fit in the back. Coach Calabrese moved him to defense during the spring of his freshman year and it didn’t take long for him to adjust to the new slot.
“It just really fit my playing style much better,” admitted Butterworth. “Coach (Calabrese) was also my summer league coach so helped me grow and get more experience under my belt, giving me great tips on how I could fill that role.”
Butterworth also learned quickly just how similar the defensive positions are to midfield. He credits a lot of his success to the mental side of things, something he’s gradually mastered over the years.
“I try to stay calm when I’m playing,” he said. “That’s really important as a midfielder, too, so I think that helped me as a defender, just having that experience of remaining calm in games made the transition easier.”
In addition, Butterworth has plenty of familiar faces by his side. Kevin Pelletier, who shined between the posts at Masco, is a freshman keeper on the team, while Butterworth’s good friend and fellow Chieftains’ teammate Carmine DiPietrantonio is a freshman forward.
“That’s been really special,” Butterworth said.
Endicott boats a roster riddled with talent across the field, and the majority of their key players will return to the fold next fall. The Gulls fell short in their quest at reaching the NCAA tournament in 2022, losing to Suffolk in the CCC semifinals. But next year, Butterworth is confident his squad can get over the hump.
“Winning our league is an expectation for us; we fell short the past few years even though we felt like it was ours,” said Butterworth. “So definitely hoping to come back and make a really good run in the national tournament (next fall) which we’re capable of doing.”
Asked if he sees himself continuing to line up on defense, Butterworth didn’t hesitate.
“I’ll be staying at center back; I definitely want to stick with defense,” he said. “But anywhere that I can play and help the team win is where I want to be.”
Contact Nick Giannino at NGiannino@Salemnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickGiannino_SN.
