COLUMBIA, S.C. – Bryan College men's soccer dropped a 2-0 decision to Columbia International University on Saturday afternoon at CIU's home field.
The Lions (0-8-1, 0-4-1 conference) battled throughout the match but were unable to find the back of the net against a disciplined CIU defense, while the Rams (4-2-1, 3-1-1 conference) capitalized on their second-half opportunities to secure the victory.
The first half remained scoreless despite Bryan College generating several promising opportunities.
Beckham Davidson led the Lions' attack with multiple shot attempts, while
Carson Haiflich tested the CIU defense with a pair of efforts that sailed wide of the target.
CIU broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute when Nathan King found the net with an assist from Juan Ospina, giving the Rams a 1-0 advantage. The goal came after sustained pressure from CIU, who outshot Bryan College 12-3 in the second half.
Jonathan Scarpeta sealed the victory for CIU with an unassisted goal in the final minute of regulation, capping off a strong second-half performance by the home team.
Goalkeeper
Justus Feit turned in another solid performance for the Lions, making three saves throughout the match. Davidson continued his strong offensive play with three shots on the afternoon, while fellow attackers
Josh Hernandez and
Danyil Kalynovskyi also contributed to the Lions' attacking efforts.
Bryan College was outshot 15-10 in the match but managed to generate six corner kicks, matching CIU's total. The Lions committed 10 fouls compared to CIU's 12, showing improved discipline from recent outings.
The team's persistence was evident in their second-half play, where they continued to press for an equalizer despite falling behind early in the period.
The Lions will return home to face Bluefield UNiversity as they continue their search for that breakthrough victory. With several close matches this season, Bryan College appears to be building momentum despite the results not yet reflecting their improved play.
