After scoring the deciding goal in the Lions’ first victory last week, junior striker Tom Smith elucidated, in layman’s terms, his theory on winning soccer tactics.
“You can’t lose without conceding goals,” the Brighton native explained. “And if we score more goals then we let in, we’ll win. It’s as simple as that.”
In all seriousness, Smith was acurately referencing a renaissance within the Columbia defense that had helped produce the squad’s two most promising results of the season to that point—a scoreless draw against Loyola Marymount and a 1-0 win over Central Connecticut—after the team had allowed 17 goals in their previous five games.
Last night, against American University in Washington, D.C., the English philosopher’s theory held true once again, as keeper Michael Testa and the Lion’s defense produced their third straight clean sheet and freshman Hayden Johns scored his second goal of the season to lead Columbia to its second consecutive 1-0 victory.
The Lions have emphasized that results, at this point of the season, come second in importance to form. And though the win improves Columbia’s record to a respectable 2-5-1, given their schedule, it will more importantly add to the building of momentum that head coach Leo Chappel has desired as his team prepares to begin its Ivy League campaign this Saturday against Penn.
Last week, Chappel revealed his satisfaction over a budding grittiness he was seeing in his men. “We’re starting to figure out that it’s not always going to be pretty,” he said. “And we need to win even the ugly games.”
Last night’s victory, then, will certainly not be considered one of Columbia’s prettiest performances, but the Lions will be pleased with the additional evidence of their ability to grind out a win.
Columbia found its game-winner early, as Johns’ netted just 20 minutes into the contest. Latching onto a rebounded shot from classmate Bayo Adafin, the midfielder fired a ball that trickled into net despite a partial-save from American goalkeeper Chris Sedlak.
American went on to outshoot the Lions 13-7 in the half, and 24-13 in the match, but could not find its equalizer. Testa produced another strong performance in net for the Lions, making six saves to keep the shutout.
Chappel and his squad have insisted that their early struggles were tailor-made to prepare them for the conference season. Undefeated in their last three matches, the Lions may now finally be proving that point.