Columbia
Wagner
Columbia Blanks Wagner 3-0 On The Road
8/30/2015 3:10:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Final Box
Staten Island, N.Y. – For the second game of opening weekend, the Columbia women's soccer team headed across the Verezano Bridge to take on Wagner (1-4) on Sunday, Aug. 30. The Lions used a stellar all-around defensive effort and a second-half offensive onslaught to grab a 3-0 win, its first of the season.
Columbia began building their attack in the first half jumping out to a 12-3 lead on shots. 10 different Lions tallied a shot, including a close head-on effort by Emma Anderson in the early minutes that just missed by bouncing off the crossbar. Both team defenses held tough through the opening 45 minutes to maintain a scoreless match at the break.
The Lions kept the offensive pressure on in the second half and in the 51st minute, senior co-captain Elly McGuffog made a quick heads-up pass to find a streaking Natalie Neshat on the right side of the box and Neshat sealed the deal scoring the Lions first goal of the season.
About five minutes later, her twin sister Holly Neshat laid a beautiful pass to first-year Emma Anderson who gave Columbia a 2-0 lead at the 61st minute with her first collegiate goal. Sophomore Caroline Militello finished the day off with by finding the back of the net in the 77th minute to put the Lions ahead 3-0.
Joining the offense in a grove would be the Lions defense. With Allison Spencer in goal collecting five saves, the Columbia defense held strong to turn its first shutout of the season to give the Lions a 3-0 victory over Wagner.
With the win, Columbia improves to 1-1 on the season and will return to action on Friday, Sept. 4 with a trip to Boston College for a 2 p.m. match.
