NEW YORK – The Columbia men's soccer team picked up a crucial three points in the Ivy League standings with a 2-0 victory at Penn.
 
The win helps the Lions move to 5-3-1 on the season and 2-0 in Ancient Eight play, while the Quakers drop to 2-3-3 (0-2).
 
A pair of scores came quickly in the first half, thanks to two efforts on set pieces.
 
In the 35th minute, Blake Willis stepped up to take a corner kick for the Lions. After the collecting header by Andrew Stevens was initially deflected off a Penn defender, a scramble in the box came to the foot of Dylan Mott. The senior sent a hard shot past a pair of Penn defenders into the back of the net for his second goal of the year.
 
Just four minutes later, the lead would double for the Lions. John Denis took a corner kick from the same location as Willis, as this one sprawled past the 18-yard box. Nike Azuma came up from the back line and connected from close to 25-yards out, finding the left upper 90 on a laser that beat Scott Forbes for the goal.
 
During the second half of action, Columbia was able to muster five shot attempts, but could not find a third score of the match. The visiting teams defense was there to keep the Quakers at bay, allowing three total shots, with the only one coming on frame saved by Dylan Castanheira in the 49th minute.
 
Azuma became the eighth Lion this year to find the net, recording his first career goal in the victory. Mott's second score of the season has him one behind Kynan Rocks for the team lead, and tied with Danny Laranetto for second on the team.
 
With three saves in the match, Castanheira put up his third shutout win of the season and has tied Gary Escher for the program's career record in clean sheets with 23.
 
Columbia will be back in action next Saturday, Oct. 13, in a 1:00 p.m. contest against Princeton on ESPN+.