COLUMBIA, S.C. - On Thursday afternoon, CIU men's soccer played the quarterfinals of the 2021 Appalachian Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Tournament against the 8th seeded St. Andrews Knights. The Rams (16-1 overall, 12-1 AAC) came into the contest as the top seed in this year's tournament, poised to make a run at the tournament championship after winning the regular-season title just weeks ago. The Knights nearly beat the Rams in the only regular-season contest between the two teams, falling to the Rams in two overtimes period, 3-2 on Oct. 26. . This time around, the Knights would upset the Rams at Sessions Field, 1-0, and will advance to the semifinal round of the AAC Tournament to play Tennessee Wesleyan next week. 

Scoring Summary:
Thursday night's contest was a tightly contested affair. Both teams played physically and put together several opportunities to score. CIU had a healthy advantage in shots in the first half but couldn't capitalize on their positioning offensively. As a result, neither team would score in the first half. 

The second period would prove to be a heartbreaker for the Rams. At the 64:13 minute mark, CIU looked like they would eventually find the net to give them a one-score lead as the Knights were called for a hand-ball inside the box. However, Romulo Barreto would miss the penalty kick right of the post, and the momentum would swing. St. Andrews would quickly strike with a goal off a free-kick played into the box. After a scuffle for the ball, Thiago Mendes would fight the net playing the ball just past the Rams goalkeeper Hazel Ley to give the Knights a one-goal lead. CIU would battle tirelessly to try and avoid an early-round exit in this year's AAC Tournament but would not be able to score the goal they needed. 

What's Next: 
The Rams now await placement for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Tournament, which will start on Nov. 18.