An 8–0 victory for the Lions sent Fairleigh Dickinson home with tears in their eyes.

Slowly honing themselves into a formidable team before Ivy play, the Lions have lost just one-in-six matches with their sole defeat coming against undefeated No. 8 Santa Clara (6-0-2) 0–1. The Lions did not back down against their nationally ranked opponent and staved off the Broncos’ constant attack. Since then, Columbia (4-1-1), has scored 10 goals across three games. Eight of those goals came at home against FDU (0-8) on Sunday afternoon, showcasing the Lions’ penchant for offensive pressure and quick ball movement that often left the Knights chasing after the attack.

What had been a back-and-forth game at the whistle shifted into a training game to practice ball control before the 10 minute mark. The Lions set themselves up for success early into the game due to their patience and stamina, giving them control over tempo and space. In the 18th minute, Kat Jordan (CC ’24) opened the register with her fourth goal of the season, putting Columbia up 1–0. It would take another 10 minutes after Jordan’s goal before the Lions really whaled on the Knights. 28 minutes in, Columbia would score three goals in four minutes. Sam Cohn (CC ’25) and Ania Prussak (CC ’25) would put away the first two, only to be followed by a beautiful left footed shot from Claire Pinnie (SEAS ’25) that curled its way past the goalkeeper and into the top left corner. Closing out the half with a fifth goal, Maia Tabion (CC ’26) stole the ball from a hesitant defender in the opposition’s 18-yard box and slotted it past the goalkeeper. A relentless attack that moved up and down the field together kept the Lions linked and compact, ready to explode whenever a goalscoring opportunity arose.

Halftime: Columbia 5, FDU 0

An eventful first half was certainly followed by more excitement. Within ten minutes of the second half’s kickoff, Prussak scored her second goal of the game and Kendall McBride (CC ’24) decided to join in on the goal fest as well. With 24 shots, 14 of them on target, throughout the game, FDU really had no chance. The Lions capitalized on every mistake, continuing to add stress to the Knight midfield and backline before breaking them in moments of transition. Tabion scored again in the 65th minute, driving down the line and into the box to the goalkeeper’s right. The shot was too quick for the keeper and it slipped under them to set the final score. Every active Lion on the women’s soccer roster had an opportunity to play, as the coaching staff rotated players into new positions for more experience.

Final Score: Columbia 8, FDU 0

Columbia will play its next game at home against NJIT (3-1-4) on September 13 at 7 pm where they will look to continue their dominance before the Ivy League begins competition on September 23.

Score! via CUAthletics