By: Scotty Grigsby 

Date: September 28th 
Location: Sessions Field, Columbia SC 
Kickoff: 5:00 PM 

Scoring Summary: 
43:40 CIU goal by Rafael Carnero
89:16 TWU goal by Nicholas Akoto
91:05 TWU goal by Josh Conradie

How it happened: 

The Rams took on the 20th NAIA nationally-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs on Saturday Night. While the Rams looked to be in control for most of the game, they would not be able to hold on to finish off the Bulldogs. 

The Rams started the game with a set back defensive formation and waited for counter-attacking opportunities to open up. The counter-attacks created many early shooting opportunities for the Rams as they began with two great chances from CIU senior, Doran Batterman. Both sides struggled to gain dominance until CIU would take the first lead of the game in the 43rd minute. Ram forward Rafael Carnero performed an athletic sliding kick from a cross made by Jonathan Muller. The Rams would enter halftime with momentum and the lead. 

CIU looked to maintain and grow their lead in the second half. TWU tried to regain some attacking momentum in the second half, shooting early and often. The Ram defense swarmed to the ball and allowed no real scoring opportunities. The Bulldogs shocked CIU in the 89th minute with a goal from Nicholas Akoto off of a quick counter-attack. The Rams and the Bulldogs headed to overtime 1-1. Overtime is 10 minutes, and the first team to score wins. 

The Rams hoped to recover from the last minute Bulldog equalizer. However, in the 92nd minute, the Bulldogs would manage to score the winning goal making the final tally 2-1 TWU. 

The Rams next contest is on October 2nd against St. Andrews University.