The Columbia men’s soccer team journeyed to Wisconsin this weekend, taking on Big East opponents DePaul and Marquette at the Marquette Invitational. Both matches were low-scoring affairs, as Columbia lost 1-0 to DePaul on Friday and held Marquette to a scoreless draw on Sunday.
The young Lions faced a baptism by fire at the hands of the DePaul Blue Devils on Friday, squaring off against an experience-laden squad featuring preseason Big East goalkeeper of the year Brian Visser. DePaul pressed from the beginning, collecting the opening shots of the game. Columbia tried to counter, with sophomores Hayden Johns and Bayo Adafin keying the attack, but both of their attempts missed the net. Blue Devil junior Steffen Vroom would draw first blood in the 23rd minute, slotting home a rebound to make it 1-0. DePaul continued to press throughout the first half, firing seven of 10 total shots. The Light Blue held firm, however, and the Blue Devil advantage remained at one goal at halftime.
The Blue Devil attack continued in the second half, pouring six shots in total during the stanza, but goalkeeper Alex Aurrichio and the defense would not yield. The Lions were also much more active in DePaul’s third of the field, garnering four of the five corners. The Columbia press was most evident in the final 10 minutes of the game. Sophomore Pepe Carotenuto served as the dynamo of the attack, firing an attempt of his own in the 80th minute and crossing a corner to senior James Pounder in the 87th. But Columbia was unable to solve Visser in the end, preserving the win for the Blue Devils.
The Light Blue looked to bounce back from the tough loss to DePaul by taking on host Marquette on Sunday. The Golden Eagles had played Penn to 0-0 draw on Friday and remained undefeated on the year. Columbia went on the offensive from the beginning, firing four of the first five shots of the match. Felipe Castrillon, who transferred to Columbia from Holy Cross, keyed the attack, firing two shots in the first 24 minutes. Carotenuto was once again active in the opponent’s third, slotting an attempt off the opponent’s crossbar in the 27th minute. The initiative switched to the Golden Eagles after that, as Marquette reeled off six straight attempts, including a pair of chances in the 42nd minute. Aurrichio was unfazed, however, saving both attempts to preserve the clean sheet going into halftime.
The second half was much quieter than the first, with just seven shots during the total 45 minutes. Columbia was not able to convert on either of two corner kicks, while Aurrichio turned away two Golden Eagle attempts on goal. The overtime periods were more of the same, with neither team mounting a serious offensive threat until a flurry from the Lions in the last two minutes. The Light Blue forced two corners in an effort to snatch a last-minute win but was unsuccessful in finding the back of the net.
The Lions now sit at 0-1-1 on the season and will face Stony Brook on Friday for their third game of the season.
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