ROCHESTER, Mich. — Despite a strong second half effort, the Golden Grizzlies fell short at home, falling 1-2 to Butler in their opening game of the week.

Oakland created a bevy of early opportunities, including a notable shot by Jack Klomparens in the 7th minute that was saved by the Bulldogs' goalie, Aurie Briscoe. Oakland maintained pressure through several attempts, tallying nine shots in the first half. Mohammad Jamal Issa and Marco Mazzei each tested the Bulldogs' defense as well with shots, but none were able to find the back of the net. On the opposing side, the Bulldogs capitalized on their chances, opening the scoring in the 14th minute with a goal by Brendan Cunningham to take a 1-0 lead.

Despite Oakland's efforts to respond, including multiple shots and corner kicks, the Bulldogs extended their lead in the 38th minute when Adam Watson scored, giving Butler a 2-0 advantage going into halftime.

Just like in their last match, the Golden Grizzlies would start the second half looking to shift the tide. In the 63rd minute, Marco Mazzei scored for Oakland, narrowing the Bulldogs' lead to 2-1.

Oakland maintained pressure with several attempts, including a shot by Abdul Al-Rashed in the 66th minute that was saved, and another by Jamal Issa shortly after, but were unable to tally the equalizer.

The Golden Grizzlies didn't lack aggressiveness in this one, tallying more shots (19 to 10), shots on goal (6 to 3), and corner kicks (9 to 5) than the Bulldogs. Oakland's 19 shots marked the squad's most in a single game this season.

Mazzei scored his third goal of the season, first since the game against Dayton (8/31), and recorded three shots, with two on goal. Klomparens contributed with two shots on goal out of his three total shots, and Andriy Bilous also finished with three shots.

Oakland looks forward to a Metro Series rivalry matchup this weekend, hosting Detroit Mercy on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m.