Guest Writers Elijah Espinal and Sofian Laouzai attended the match. A strong first-half performance by the Lions allowed them to breeze past the Rams for a celebratory win.
On Tuesday, Columbia Women’s Soccer (1-2-3, 0-0 Ivy) secured their first win of the season over the Fordham Rams (5-2-1, 0-0 A-10), powered by early first-half goals from Maia Tabion (CC’26) and Ania Prussak (CC’25). With a strong start, Columbia demonstrated accurate passing and a composed defense. After the 5th minute, the Lions began searching for an entry through Fordham’s defensive line, dominating possession and thwarting the Rams’ attacks. Through a series of strategic passes, Columbia broke the defense with a through ball allowing Tabion to score low and center giving the Lions a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute. Then, assists from Sophia Cavaliere (CC’25) and Marcia Ojo (CC’25) gave way to Prussak scoring the second goal for the Lions in the 24th. Columbia kept their momentum for the rest of the half, attacking a few more times before the halftime whistle concluded their 2-0 lead.
Half: Columbia 2, Fordham 0
Although the Rams returned stronger in the second half with increased attacking pressure, center backs Courtney Reudt (CC’26) and Justina Bitzer (CC’26) were able to navigate through Fordham’s all-out press and secure the shut-out. But even with 5 shots and 6 corners throughout the second half, the team was not able to put a third ball into the net. The Lions displayed a weaker defense in the latter portion of the half, giving rise to a shot off the crossbar from the Rams in the 74th minute. Nevertheless, they managed to successfully close out the match with a 2-0 win.
Final Score: Columbia 2, Fordham 0
Despite a rocky start to the season, this win showed life in this Columbia squad and looks to be a building block for their next game against the Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1-1, 1-0 B1G) on September 15th.
Image via CUAthletics