COLUMBIA, S.C. - CIU men's soccer returned to the pitch for another Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) contest against Johnson (Tenn.). This match marked the first conference game for the Royals, who entered the contest 1-2 overall on the season. Meanwhile, the battle was the second game in-conference for the Rams coming off a 1-1 draw with Union (Ky.) this past Saturday. The Rams scored goals in bunches as they coasted to a 5-1 win over the Royals at Sessions Field. 

Scoring Summary: 
The Rams were effective early in their offensive attack producing several scoring opportunities. Daniel Ospina started the scoring run for CIU with a goal in the 34th  minute of the first half on an assist from Praise Kabwe. Shortly after, Sohya Yamamoto would add another goal on a penalty kick as the Royals were called for a foul inside the box. Then, just over five minutes before intermission, Fabio Bender increased the Ram's lead to three with a goal on an assist from Benedict Kartheuser. Later in the period, Michael Abongo notched his second goal of the season, scoring on an assist from Yamamoto. The Ram's final goal of the contest came at the 81:09 minute mark as Juan Jimenez found the net on an assist from Andrew King. The Royals tacked on a goal late but it wasn't enough as CIU claimed victory over Johnson (Tenn.) 5-1. 

Hear from Fabio Bender postgame:


Up Next: 
The Rams continue their home stretch of conference action on Saturday, Sept. 17, versus Kentucky Christian University at 2 PM.