No. 15 Men’s Soccer Wins NAIA Opening Round Match

Lawrenceville, Ga. – The No. 15-ranked Columbia College men’s soccer team scored three unanswered goals after falling behind early en route to a 3-1 victory over Indiana Wesleyan University in the NAIA Opening Round Thursday at Grizzly Soccer Complex.
 
Ethan Blake scored the first two goals for Columbia, which won its 11th-straight game to improve to 15-3-3. Indiana Wesleyan ended its season with an 11-5-4 record. The Cougars have won 15 or more games in four-straight seasons under head coach John Klein.
 
Indiana Wesleyan had an early opportunity in the ninth minute, but Liam Gibbs came up with a diving save to force a corner kick. Just six minutes later, Jose Pizzaro fired a shot from outside the 18 just past the arms of Gibbs to make it 1-0.
 
The Cougars got the equalizer on its first shot of the game in the 35th minute when Blake scored off a give and go from Erik Rajoy with a shot from 15 yards out to make it 1-1.
 
Blake found the net again just before half after a scramble in front of the net off a free kick to make it 2-1. The Cougars were outshot 3-2 in the opening half, converting on both chances.
 
Columbia got the two-goal advantage in the 54th minute after Nick Brandt scored from the top of the box of a shot that went off the left post.
 
The Cougars outshot Indiana Wesleyan 13-3, including 11-2 in the second half, and the Crusaders had a 5-4 advantage in corner kicks.
 
Gibbs made four saves and picked up the 31st win of his career.
 
Columbia takes on No. 5 Georgia Gwinnett College in the NAIA Second Round on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. (ET) in Lawrenceville, Ga.
 
NOTES: Columbia leads all-time series with Indiana Wesleyan 2-0-1 … The Cougars advanced to the second round for the fourth-straight year and eighth time in school history … Columbia is 16-10-2 in 12 all-time NAIA National Tournament appearances.