COLUMBIA, S.C. - CIU men's soccer hosted Bryan College (Tenn.) in a crucial Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) matchup on Saturday afternoon. The Rams are coming off two draws and a loss in conference play, and held a 1-4 record against the Lions squad entering the match. However, a strong offensive outing gave CIU a 4-0 edge to move to 6-1-3 on the season and 4-1-2 in AAC play.
Match Summary: The Rams started with a slightly different lineup than usual, and head coach Bill Brindley's adjustments paid off as CIU was dominant all afternoon. However, Bryan started off strong offensively with a free kick that the Rams back line cleared out and then recorded a shot that Chase Knizek could block with an outstretched dive. CIU turned things around and took an early lead thanks to Juan Ospina off a free kick from Mariano Calderon (9:16).
CIU continued to take shots and force corner kicks, but they could not capitalize on them as they either went wide or were cleared out by the defense. The Lions took five shots in the first half, but they all went wide or blocked by the Rams. CIU couldn't score another goal before halftime, so they led 1-0 after the first frame.
The first ten minutes of the second half were quiet, but Ospina broke the silence with his second goal of the game (55:04) to give CIU a 2-0 lead. Bryan Molina came close to setting up his teammates with a cross, but the defense thwarted the attempt. However, Zion Atkinson would find the back of the net moments later, off an assist from Molina, for his second goal of the season (67:31).
After a few scoring opportunities from the Lions, Molina scored the game's final goal, leading CIU to a 4-0 advantage (76:16).
In the waning minutes of the match, Bryan attempted a cross to make something happen, but Benedict Kartheuser was there to take away this opportunity and keep the clean sheet. Juan Jimenez joined in on the offensive action for the Rams and attempted a header just four minutes before the horn, but Bryan's keeper was able to collect it.
Knizek picked up a save while allowing no goals, while Ospina, Atkinson, and Lucas Galindo led the team with two shots apiece. Ospina picked up the first brace of his career.
Hear from Juan Ospina postgame:
Up Next: CIU heads to Pikeville, Ky., to take the pitch against the University of Pikeville on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 3:30 p.m. EST.
