NEW YORK – Unbeaten for nearly a month, Columbia women's soccer will look to make it six games in a row on Saturday evening when the Brown Bears make the trip to New York City. The Lions will host the Bears at Commisso Stadium in the team's Ivy Home Opener at 6 p.m.

Columbia will be hosting its annual Pride Game tomorrow, and the team will be holding a post-game autograph session open to the public following the contest. 


HOW TO FOLLOW
All Columbia home games and all Ivy League contests will be streamed via ESPN+. You can find tomorrow's game HERE.

Live stats for Sunday's contest against the Bears can be found via gocolumbialions.com, HERE. 

Follow @CULionsWSOC on X and Instagram for live updates and results during every match. 


LAST TIME OUT
The Lions opened Ivy League play in dramatic fashion on Saturday afternoon, as sophomore defender Dema Elder headed home the game-winner in the 90th minute to lift the Lions to a 2-1 road victory over Cornell at Berman Field.

Momentum shifted in the 69th minute when Maia Beltran nodded in her third goal of the season off a near-post corner from Maia Tabion, leveling the match at 1-1. The Lions continued to press and were rewarded in the final minute of regulation, as Tabion again delivered another pinpoint corner that Elder powered into the net for her second career goal and first of the season which would prove to be the game-winner. 

Goalkeeper Samantha Mahoney finished with two saves in the opening half, while the Lions' defense limited the Big Red (2-3-4, 0-1-0 Ivy) to just three shots on goal. Columbia and Cornell each had 13 shots overall but, Columbia held a 5-3 edge in shots on target and earned five corners, including the decisive set piece in the final minute.

SCOUTING BROWN
Brown enters the weekend with a 7-1-2 record through its first 10 matches of the 2025 season. The Bears are coming off a 5-2 victory over Yale in their Ivy League opener, a result powered by junior midfielder Joy Okonye and senior defender Naya Cardoza, who were named Ivy League Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively.

In 2024, Brown finished 9-4-3 overall and 4-2-1 in Ivy League play, advancing to the conference tournament. The Bears knocked Columbia out in the Ivy League semifinals, and the Lions will be looking for some revenge, along with their first win over Brown in New York City since 2017. Head coach Kia McNeill, now in her ninth season, has guided the program to multiple Ivy titles and NCAA Tournament berths, establishing the Bears as one of the league's most consistent contenders.

This year's roster is led by Okonye, who has already tallied five goals and five assists, and was recently named National Offensive Player of the Week, along with Aliyah Salin (5 goals) and Ella Weill, both of whom provide pace and creativity in the attack. On the defensive end, Cardoza anchors the back line and has a team-high six goals, while goalkeeper Bella Schopp has provided stability between the posts.

Through 10 matches, Brown has scored 24 goals while conceding 8, showing balance at both ends of the field. With a veteran core and contributions from a talented group of newcomers, the Bears look to continue their strong run as Ivy League play intensifies.

ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
 

ON DECK
Columbia is back on the road next week, traveling to New Hampshire for a matchup with the Dartmouth Big Green on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

The Lions' full 2025 schedule can be found HERE. 


For the latest on the Columbia women's soccer program, follow @CULionsWSOC on X, Instagram, Facebook at Facebook.com/ColumbiaWSoccer and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.