Light Blue soccer team gears up for afternoon play at Iona

The Columbia women’s soccer team resumes nonconference play at Iona today. The Lions (1-1-0) will try to build on their first win of the season, a 3-0 victory over Hartford, when they take on the Gaels.

In just two games, Columbia has displayed its offensive depth. Junior forward Ashlin Yahr, senior forward Keri Nobil, and junior midfielder Liz Wicks all scored against Hartford on Sunday, while senior defender Kelly Hostetler converted a penalty kick in Friday’s 2-1 loss to Central Connecticut State.

“We expect that we’re going to have a wide range of players score goals for us,” head coach Kevin McCarthy said.

While four players have scored for the Lions so far this season, a total of nine have taken shots. Columbia has 22 shots this year, 15 of which were on goal.

Freshman midfielder Beverly Leon took three shots against Hartford and started in both of the Lions’ matchups. If she continues to play aggressively and create scoring opportunities, she could find the back of the net on Wednesday.

McCarthy was impressed with Leon’s performance against Hartford. He also noted that the freshmen had improved from Friday to Sunday.

“They’re a bit calmer, a bit clearer about what’s expected and what to expect,” McCarthy said. “Like the returning players, they’re really quality people, and their focus and commitment to improving just over a 48-hour span was great to see.”

Columbia has won its past three matchups with Iona, including a 3-1 victory last season. Yahr scored two second-half goals in that game, the first of which broke a 1-1 tie.

Iona (1-6-0) has struggled this season and, unlike Columbia, has not displayed a powerful offense. The Gaels were shut out in all six of their losses. Senior midfielder Abby Dixon scored Iona’s only goal of the year in a 1-0 win against Stony Brook. The Gaels have also faltered defensively, allowing 17 goals this season.

The Lions will look to score early and attack constantly on Wednesday. They have already taken 14 corner kicks this season while holding their opponents to five.

Kick-off against Iona is set for 3 p.m. in New Rochelle, N.Y.