COLUMBIA, S.C. — CIU men's soccer earned its first Appalachian Athletic Conference win of the season Wednesday, coming from behind to defeat Montreat 2-1 at Sessions Field.

The Cavaliers struck first in the 12th minute, but CIU (1-2-1, 1-1-0 AAC) regrouped after halftime and flipped the match in their favor. Sophomore forward Ian Rau scored the equalizer in the 55th minute off an assist from Eric Calderon, then delivered the game-winner less than 10 minutes later with help from Ive Celic.

The Rams' offense pressed throughout the night, generating 18 shots to Montreat's 11, with Rau, Celic, and Nathan King leading the charge. Celic was especially active with a team-high seven shots, while King threatened with three attempts.

Defensively, CIU's back line settled in after the early concession, limiting Montreat to just two shots on target. Goalkeeper Vasilios Diakomihalis went largely untested in the second half as the Rams saw out the win.

The Rams return to action on Saturday, Sept. 20, with a road trip to Bluefield University (Va.). Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET.