Columbia
Villanova
Men's Soccer Blanked by Villanova, 1-0
10/20/2009 6:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
VILLANOVA, Pa. -- The Columbia University men's soccer team took on Villanova on Tuesday afternoon in a non-conference matinee. The Lions saw the Wildcats take an early lead in the 13th minute and couldn't quite take advantage of a few scoring chances in the second half in a 1-0 defeat.
Villanova took an early lead in the 13th minute as senior forward Mike Seamon found the back of the net to the right side off an assist from sophomore Kevin Garcia.
Columbia had an 8-3 edge in corners for the match, including a 5-1 margin in the second half. In the 71st minute, one of those corners - taken by junior Hayden Johns - came very close to being an equalizing score for the Lions. Johns put the ball into a crowd just in front of the net and the ball hung in place for several seconds in an unsettled situation.
First-year defender Brendan O'Hearn eventually managed two consecutive shots on the sequence, with the first being blocked by the Wildcat defense and the second being saved by Villanova sophomore goalkeeper Chris Bresnahan.
The Lions were awarded three more corners in the game's final 15 minutes but none led to another shot on goal. Bresnahan made three saves on the afternoon and the Wildcats were credited with a team save on the scramble that led to O'Hearn's pair of chances.
Alexander Aurrichio made four saves in goal for the Lions. All four came in the second half as Columbia's late defensive play allowed it a chance to get back into the game on the other end of the field.
Columbia will return to Ivy League play on Saturday, Oct. 24 as it travels to Dartmouth.
