The Quinnipiac men’s soccer team dropped its second consecutive match on Tuesday, falling 2-0 at the hands of Columbia.
The contest was marred by costly errors and a pair of red cards that left both teams with 10 players on the field by the end of the match.
Senior forward Jake Novoshelski put Columbia ahead first, capitalizing on a disastrous turnover by the Bobcats’ back line before easily scoring on a fairly open net in the 23rd minute.
That early goal set the tone for the Lions, but the first half wasn’t all smooth sailing for the hosts.
The Bobcats offense continued to spend time in the attacking third, possessing the ball for 65% of the first 45 minutes. Despite a few promising chances for the visitors, they were unable to find the back of the net and headed into the locker room at halftime trailing 1-0.
The second half started much the same as the first, with Columbia setting the tempo. Sophomore midfielder Joao Lima managed to double the Lions’ lead in the 56th minute, beating Quinnipiac sophomore goalkeeper Karl Netzell to his right, while giving the hosts a comfortable 2-0 advantage.
Just when it seemed like Columbia was cruising to an easy victory, the Bobcats battled back
Quinnipiac graduate student forward Jason Budhai found himself in a one-on-one with Columbia’s senior goalkeeper, Michael Collodi, just outside the box, and Collodi made the business decision to take down Budhai instead of conceding a goal. The decision cost Collodi his ability to play in the remainder of the contest, as he gave the referee no choice but to pull out a red card.
The man-advantage gave the Bobcats a lifeline, but despite being up a player, Quinnipiac struggled to break down Columbia’s defense and get onto the scoreboard.
The Bobcats had their lifeline taken away after graduate student midfielder Noah Silverman’s rough tackle was rewarded with a yellow card, his second of the night and leveling the playing field at ten players each — dashing any hopes of a Quinnipiac comeback.
The final whistle confirmed a 2-0 win for Columbia. The result had looked likely since Lima’s second-half goal, but was anything but assured given the roller coaster of a second half.
For Quinnipiac, it marked the second consecutive match in which it was held scoreless, unfamiliar territory for a school that was No. 2 in the nation in total goals last season.
The Bobcats will need to find the back of the net more frequently as they head into the start of MAAC play, beginning when they travel to Canisius on Sept. 23. for a 1 p.m. start.
