NEW YORK — Sacred Heart broke through in the 75th minute to hand the Columbia men's soccer team a loss in its 2024 home opener, 1-0, Saturday night at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium.
 
Sacred Heart's (5-1-0) goal was ultimately started following a shot from Jack McDaid that went out to the right. The ensuing goal kick was sent ahead for Alex Almuzara near the midfield stripe. He sent another long ball through the air toward the box that Sam McCann caught up to. McCann then slipped a pass into the area for Javier Lopez Cayuela, whose right-footed shot from a tough angle bounced inside the part far post. It ultimately proved to be the lone tally for either side.
 
"It takes time. We have a lot of the new guys on the team, especially in the back four, so it just takes time to get organized as those relationships start to form," Columbia's second-year head coach Michael Casper said. "I feel like we are just getting better and better with each game we play with our back four. Unfortunately, it hasn't yielded any shutouts yet – we keep finding ways to give up a goal – but I think the relationships are growing, the connections are growing and, defensively, we're getting stronger with each match."
 
Columbia (0-4-0) took six shots on the night but was unable to put any of them on goal. They had some good opportunities, especially in the second half, including a very dangerous cross in the final minutes that was ultimately blocked away.
 
"We're trying to find the right combinations of guys that can play in attack. At the end of the day, we need to score goals. It's not a secret," Casper added. "We need to find the back of the net. We're trying to get a little bit better and keep grinding, looking for opportunities to score, and we believe they'll come."
 
Andreas Zamanian made three saves between the posts for the Lions. His first came in the 28th minute with an easy catch on a shot from distance. He made a diving stop late in the half to keep his side level.
 
One of Columbia's best chances to score came in the 31st minute. Carmine Falco gained possession just outside the box and floated a pass over the back line. It found Luka Peric in behind but his headed shot was sent a few feet high over the crossbar.
 
The Lions had some momentum coming out of halftime with consecutive corners in the opening five minutes. They then generated four shots in a 10-minute span midway through the half before SHU struck for the goal.
 
Columbia plays its second of four straight home matches this coming Wednesday, September 18, against Fairfield. First kick is slated for 7 p.m.
 
FOLLOW THE LIONS:
For the latest on Columbia men's soccer, be sure to follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@CULionsMSOC), on Facebook (ColumbiaMensSoccer), or by visiting GoColumbiaLions.com.