COLUMBIA, S. C. - Sessions Field hosted its first Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Men's Soccer Tournament Championship match on Friday and saw the hometown Rams crowned AAC champions. Despite wet and sloppy field conditions, CIU men's soccer took down No. 4 seeded Union College (Tenn.), 2-1, for their first-ever tournament title. The tournament win gives CIU their second consecutive trip to the NAIA Championship Opening Round and a season record of 12-3-4.
Scoring Summary: Just 12' minutes into the contest, Union silenced the home crowd with a Simon Salsi goal. Despite the early setback, the Rams still managed to control most of the possession in the first frame but trailed 1-0 at the break.
The Rams rewrote the script in the second half, with Gabriel Rokov scoring in the 63' minute on a free kick from Sohya Yamamoto to even the score. Then just a minute later, the Rams struck again as a Fabio Bender shot hit the post and bounced straight to Praise Kabwe, who found the back of the net off the rebound, putting CIU up 2-1. The second goal deflated the Union sails as the Rams held on for the win.
Match Notes:
- The Rams had 22 shots compared to just five from Union.
- Gabriel Rokov, Kabwe, and Bender were all named to the All-Tournament Team, while Yamamoto was selected as tournament MVP.
Hear from Sohya Yamamoto and Coach Bill Brindley postgame:
Up Next: CIU will await their fate in the NAIA Championship Opening Round, as matchups will be announced on Monday, Nov. 14.
