COLUMBIA, S.C. - In a pivotal matchup in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) that saw two of the top teams in the conference square off, CIU men's soccer was unable to pull out the win on their home pitch against Reinhardt University (Ga.).
The Rams entered the contest boasting a 6-2-3 record on the season and unbeaten in conference play at 5-0-2. However, CIU was certainly tested Wednesday night as they took on the Eagles, who presented a 6-4-2 record on the season but a 5-1-2 record in the AAC.
The contest was a highly anticipated as both teams jockeyed for position atop the conference standings. Unfortunately, CIU left too many scoring opportunities on the field and gave up a goal in the second half to drop their first regular season conference game since Oct. 30 of last season.
Scoring Summary:
The Rams had a clear advantage in time of possessions and controlled the ball often on the attack. The Ram's first promising chance came in the 24' minute as
Fabio Bender sent a ball that barely missed right. The Rams had several more chances in the first half as they tallied six shots in the first frame.
Despite the offensive woes, CIU's defense held stout allowing only two shots on goal in the first 45 minutes. The game remained scoreless after one period of play.
The Rams kept the same intensity in the second frame with the same amount of shots (6) as they had in the first half. CIU had the Eagles on their heels for most of the structure but came up with nothing in the score column.
Daniel Ospina provided another promising chance in the 54' minute of the second period that struck the crossbar and bounced right back into play.
The Eagles started to build momentum in the latter part of the second frame and eventually put in the game-winning goal. Rafael Pais put in the dagger for Reinhardt and CIU could not strike with the equalizer, giving Men's Soccer their first loss in conference play.
Up Next:
CIU will welcome Point (Ga.) to Sessions Field on Wednesday, Oct. 19. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 PM.
