Columbia International University Athletics

The Columbia International University men's soccer team was back in action tonight after some time off. The Rams were hosting Regent University in the semi-final round of the NCCAA South Region Championship. The Rams came into the game as the number two seed, while the Royals were the number three seed. It didn't take long to determine the outcome of the game as the Rams would score often to win, 16-0. With the win the Rams move to 8-9-2 and win their first region tournament game in program history.

It only took a minute and forty-nine second for the Rams to get off the first shot of the game and after that their was no stopping them. Through the first six and a half minutes the Rams would take six shots and have one corner, but a few seconds after the six and a half minute mark the Rams would get on the board with a goal from Doran Battermann. Less than three minutes later the Rams would be back at it, but this time it was a defensive connection as Braden Elmer was able to get a cross to Hunter Haynes who knocked it home. Over a seven minute span later in the half the Rams would score five more goals. The goals came off the feet of Victor Maron, Paul Grandacarpio (2), Ricky Prestridge, and Zach Wolfenden. At the thirty minute mark the Rams would score their eighth goal off the game as Prestridge scored his second. Rahim Gordon would give their Rams their ninth goal and then at the 39:30 mark Bryce Holdman would convert on a penalty kick to give the Rams their tenth and final goal of the half.

The second half was much of the same for the Rams as they would score two goals in the opening five minutes. Those goals were scored by Rahim Gordan and Doran Battermann. The Rams would continue scoring as in the sixty-seventh minute Wolfenden was able to get his second goal of the game. In the seventy-eighth minute Sebastian Rodriguez would score and pick up his first collegiate goal. The Rams would score two more goals in the final five minutes with them coming from Mat Crews and Hastin McGill.

Columbia International set a ton of records tonight as they recorded 45 shots with 25 on goal....The 16 goals are the most scored in program history...Regent was held to two shots with one on goal...The Rams had five players score two goals each...Eleven of the Rams goal were aided by an assist from a teammate...The Rams also had nine corners...Hugo Lemus picked up the win an added another shutout to his stat sheet.

"We played a good game tonight and they are a first year program so to make it to regionals is a good accomplishment," said Head Coach Bill Brindley. "We have a tough game on Friday against Southern Wesleyan, but there is a lot to play for in that game so I know the guys will come out ready to go."

Columbia International will be in the NCCAA South Region Final on Friday at Southern Wesleyan University with the game to start at 7 p.m. The winner of the final will automatically advance to the NCCAA National Tournament.