VESTAL, N.Y. — Columbia quickly answered a pair of first-half goals by Binghamton's Ethan Homler but could never find the equalizer, falling on the road by a score of 2-1 Tuesday night in men's soccer action at Bearcats Sports Complex.
 
All three of the game's goals came within three minutes of each other. Homler put away the opening tally a few minutes past the midway point of the half and completed his double 1:33 later for a 2-0 lead. The Lions struck right back courtesy of Sebastian Gunbeyi, who calmly finished off his third goal of the year on a ball played off the outside by Matthew Swain.
 
Columbia had its chances to equalize that never came to fruition. Junior Sile Ogundeyin took a shot from right in front that hit the crossbar in the opening moments of the second half. The Lions continued to push forward and added heavy pressure through the game's final 15 minutes, winning several corners but never finding the back of the net.
 
"Every game is going to give you something and there is always information we can take from it," head coach Kevin Anderson stated. "We're frustrated with our performance. It's not consistent and it's not at the level we expect of ourselves. Credit to our opponent for taking advantage of the opportunities they created."
 
Columbia had the first real chance of the game blocked away before it could reach goal. The opportunity was created by a long ball played up the side of the field that eventually resulted in junior Beto Carrillo slipping in behind the back line. Carrillo took the ball to the end line before playing it across the box for Avi Eller, who made a strike at goal from close range that deflected off a Bearcat defender.
 
The Lions played a few more long balls into the attacking third off the counter over the opening 20 minutes. First-year Uri Zeitz tried his luck from outside the area, putting his laces through a shot that required a diving save from P.J. Parker.
 
After not threatening the Columbia goal for nearly a half hour, Binghamton took advantage of a miscue to steal the lead. Rookie goalkeeper Michael Collodi raced off his line to try and clear a ball outside of the 18-yard box. His sliding clearance hit a body and fell to Homler, who lobbed a shot toward the open net for his first goal of the year.
 
Less than two minutes later, Homler doubled the home team's lead. Noah Luescher found Kosta Nika with a through ball that Nika met close to the edge of the six-yard box. Nika's shot slammed the center of the crossbar and fell right back out to Homler, who made it a two-goal game in the 31st minute.
 
To Columbia's credit, the Lions answered right back. Vana Markarian played Matthew Swain onside behind the left side of Binghamton's defense. Swain quickly turned and took four steps toward goal before crossing a ball on the ground to the center of the box for Gunbeyi. The Virginia Beach native met the ball in stride and blasted it right over the keeper to cut the lead in half.
 
The Lions trailed by that score line at the intermission and came out with significantly more intensity to start the second half. That intensity nearly resulted in Sile Ogundeyin's first goal of the season. First-year Max Gonzalez played a ball up the left side of the field for the junior, who cleverly dribbled around his man and created a 1-on-1 situation with the keeper on the edge of the six-yard box. Ogundeyin's right-footed shot seemed destined for the back of the net but was denied by the crossbar before being cleared away.
 
Columbia turned up the pressure in the final quarter of an hour. A long throw in from the far side bounced around for Andrew Stevens, who turned and drove a left-footed attempt that sailed high. A barrage of corners came Columbia's way in the final 10 minutes. One of the better chances came off the head of Stevens in the 84th minute but was saved by the left leg of Parker.
 
Columbia returns to Rocco B. Commisso Stadium on Sunday for a matchup of 1-0 Ivy League teams when it takes on Penn. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
For the latest on the Columbia men's soccer program, follow @ColumbiaMSoccer on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook at Facebook.com/ColumbiaMensSoccer and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.