Lions Extend Unbeaten Streak With 0-0 Draw Against Lehigh

Tuesday, September 22

New York, N.Y.

7:00 p.m.

Columbia

3-1-2, 0-0-0

Lehigh

2-2-4, 2-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Lehigh	0	0	0
Columbia	0	0	0

Match Book Postgame Interviews

MSOC: Columbia vs. Lehigh (Sept. 22, 2026)

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Alicia Yu

Lions Extend Unbeaten Streak With 0-0 Draw Against Lehigh

9/22/2026 10:02:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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Taki’s fourth straight shutout keeps Lions unbeaten in four

NEW YORK — Sophomore goalkeeper Aris Taki recorded his fourth consecutive shutout to extend his clean sheet streak to 360 minutes, as the Columbia men's soccer team battled to a 0-0 draw against Lehigh on Tuesday night at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium.

Taki, the reigning Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week, entered the match ranked No. 1 nationally in both goals-against average (0.00) and save percentage (1.000). He stopped two second-half strikes to keep those perfect marks intact.

"It's a combination of all the work that we have been putting in since last spring and through the first few weeks of the season," said Taki postgame when asked about the team's shutout streak. "We had three games in eight days, which was super tough. Tonight, we were very consistent throughout. We managed to keep going, leave the fatigue out of the game, and stay focused."

The sophomore from Cyprus even had a bounce go his way in the latter stages of the second half. It came when Bridger Baltes got in behind Columbia's back line. Taki came out to try and beat Baltes to the ball, but Baltes chipped his shot high over Taki. It landed inside the 18-yard box with nobody between the ball and the net. Fortunately for Taki and Columbia, the ball bounced high off the turf and over the crossbar.

"It's our field, so it has to work out our way," Taki joked. "I'll take that. Mistakes will happen every single game, and it's a matter of how we handle it. In that moment, I decided to go for [the ball], and we were lucky enough that it bounced high enough. We'll take it."

Columbia set the tone early in the opening half. In the second minute, Luke Zielinski sent a dangerous free kick wide, and just three minutes later, Henning Myrvang tested Mountain Hawks goalkeeper Anton Kinnunen with a close-range redirect that was turned away.

The Lions continued their high press, nearly breaking through in the ninth minute when Zielinski struck a rising shot from inside the 18-yard box, forcing another save from Kinnunen. Columbia held the edge in chances through the first 20 minutes and went into halftime outshooting Lehigh 7-2 while holding the Mountain Hawks without a shot on target.

Lehigh gained momentum early in the second frame, pressing forward to force two saves from Taki in the first 10 minutes. The Mountain Hawks thought they had earned an opportunity in the 61st minute after appealing for a handball in the box on a blocked shot. The officials went to video review and, after looking at it for a few minutes, decided to stand with the call on the field of no handball.

Columbia generated several quality looks in the final 10 minutes to push for a late winner. In the 80th minute, Jack McDaid sent a floating ball over the top to Ethan Heyward. It led to Zielinski gaining control on the right side of the box and firing a shot just over the bar.

Will Case created another opportunity in the 83rd minute, driving toward the box and ripping a right-footed effort from just outside the 18 that flashed a foot wide of the bottom-right post. In the 88th minute, Heyward pulled down a cross inside the penalty area and put a clean strike on goal, but Kinnunen made the save to secure the scoreless draw.

Columbia outshot Lehigh 15-11 overall and held a 4-2 edge in shots on goal. Kinnunen finished with four saves for the Mountain Hawks.

The Lions return to action this Saturday, Sept. 26, when they open Ivy League play at home against Brown (4-1-1). Kickoff at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium is set for 3 p.m.

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