COLUMBIA, S.C. — Ezekiel Bargas scored twice in the second half as CIU men's soccer shut out Reinhardt University 2-0 on Wednesday night at Sessions Field, helping the Rams climb back into the upper portion of the Appalachian Athletic Conference standings.
The victory moved CIU to 5-3-2 overall and 3-1-1 in AAC play, putting the Rams in a tie for third in the conference standings.
After a scoreless opening 45 minutes, CIU quickly seized control after halftime. Bargas broke the deadlock in the 49th minute, finishing off an assist from Ive Celic to put the Rams ahead 1-0.
Less than 10 minutes later, the duo connected again. Celic set up Bargas for his second goal of the night in the 58th minute, giving CIU a 2-0 advantage. Bargas finished with three shots, two on goal and both of the Rams' goals, while Celic recorded assists on each score.
The two-goal performance brought Bargas' season total to six, placing him among the top five goal scorers in the AAC.
CIU's defense made the advantage stand. Goalkeeper Vasilios Diakomihalis played all 90 minutes and made three saves to record the clean sheet. The Rams limited Reinhardt to five total shots and three on goal while CIU generated seven shots, including six in the second half.
The Rams will look to build on the conference victory Saturday, Oct. 3, when they travel to Dayton, Tennessee, to face Bryan College. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.
