Cougars Win Season Opener at #7 Missouri Valley

Marshall, Mo. – Freshman goalkeeper Caden Hof made four saves, including two point-blank stops in the second half, as the No. 14-ranked Columbia College men’s soccer team won at No. 7 Missouri Valley College 1-0 in a battle of top-15 teams Tuesday in Marshall, Mo. 

Columbia improved to 1-0, while Missouri Valley fell to 0-1. The Cougars picked up their first season-opening win since 2019.

The Cougars capitalized on their first and only shot of the first half in the fifth minute. James McFarlane headed home a corner kick from former Viking Luke Sowerby at 4:14 to make it 1-0. The point for Sowerby was his first as a Cougar.

Guy Baskerville made the play of the first half with 10 seconds left, heading a ball of the line to keep it a one-goal lead at half.

Missouri Valley outshot Columbia 7-1 in the first half, with the Cougars capitalizing on their lone shot of the half.

Hof came up with a point-blank save in the 52nd minute on a breakaway by Kerim Akpinar, and did it again in the 74th minute after a long cross came into the box and Sam Green’s shot inside the box was stopped.

Missouri Valley outshot Columbia 15-9, and the Vikings had a 10-6 advantage in corner kicks.

The Cougars host Culver-Stockton on Friday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. in the 2023 home opener.

NOTES: Columbia leads the all-time series with Missouri Valley 12-10-4 … The goal for McFarlane was the second of his career.