COLUMBIA, S.C. - CIU men's soccer took the field on a cloudy Tuesday night to face off against Campbellsville University (Ky.). The contest was a rematch of the last two NCCAA Men's Soccer National Champions, with the Tigers winning the title in 2021 and the Rams taking the banner in 2022. After a back-and-forth first half, CIU settled down in the second frame to take their home opener, 3-2.
Scoring Summary: Campbellsville scored in the first 11 minutes of the game and held onto this lead until Paul Schütte tied up the game in the 37th minute. The Tigers responded less than a minute later to take a 2-1 lead into the half.
Romulo Barreto scored his first goal of the season shortly into the second half (53') to even out the score again. The Rams extended this lead thanks to a header from Gabriel Rokov off a Sohya Yamamoto free kick less than ten minutes later (62'). CIU's defense stepped up and held Campbellsville to just two more shots for the remainder of the game.
Barreto also picked up an assist along with his first goal of the season, while Yamamoto recorded two assists himself. Despite allowing two goals, the Rams only gave up six shots from the Tigers.
Hear from Gabriel Rokov postgame:
Up Next: CIU hits the road this weekend, Saturday, Sept. 2, at 7 PM, to take the pitch against Brewton-Parker College in Mt. Vernon, Ga.
