KISSIMMEE, Fla - CIU men's soccer started pool play at the 2022 NCCAA Men's Soccer Championship on Monday, and the first game of the championship did not disappoint. The Rams (13-4-4) avenged a loss to Judson (Ill.) from last year as they defeated the No. 7 seeded Eagles 2-1 on a last-second goal from Michael Abongo. The loss to the Eagles last year eliminated the Rams from the NCCAA Championship, which made the victory all the more sweet for Head Coach Bill Brindley and company. 

Scoring Summary: Despite the Rams outshooting the Eagles 5-4 in the first frame, Judson would strike first on a goal from Christian Horstmann at the 18' minute. The Eagles carried the lead into the break and would hold an advantage for most of the match despite a plethora of opportunities for CIU. Finally, after a foul in the box in the 89' minute, Benedict Kartheuser evened the score at 1-1 on a successful penalty kick. The Rams turned up the pressure for the final ten minutes and would get an opportunity on a corner kick with four seconds remaining. Lucas Galdino took the corner, and Abongo put CIU on top of the Eagles with a score off a header as time expired. Galdino led CIU with five shots, while the Rams totaled 17 shots as a team compared to just seven from Judson. 

What Coach Bill Brindley is saying: "We did not grow impatient but stuck to what has worked for us all year. Proud of the guys' resiliency, we showed the type of determination that is necessary to win during the postseason." 

Up Next: CIU will continue pool play on Nov. 30 versus Southwestern Christian (Okla.) at 6:00 PM.