Barons Slip In Tough Loss To Columbia

Courtesy of BPC

After a canceled match and nearly a week away from action, Brewton- Parker Men’s Soccer returned to the pitch on Saturday night for a tough battle against (RV) Columbia International (S.C.).

The Barons (1-2) slipped in a challenging bout against the Rams (2-0-1) after holding tight to a 1-1 draw at the half, BPC gave up a trio of goals to CIU in what ended as a 4-1 defeat on home soil. Brewton-Parker struggled in the second half as Columbia International’s depth was a proven factor in the match.

“It’s frustrating for us,” Head Coach Bob Neumann said. “We did well coming out of the gates and put CIU on their heels a bit, but great teams score goals and that was the difference tonight.”

“We lacked composure in the final third, and it’s something we need to improve to find better results,” Neumann added.

In the first 45 minutes of action, Brewton-Parker held its own against a talented Columbia International side. Throughout the half, the Barons remained composed to any attack from the Rams and managed to return the favor several times.

Despite being outshot 4- 1 in the first 20 minutes of play, BPC produced three scoring opportunities which leveled the shot count to four apiece. Brewton-Parker eventually capitalized on its chances and found the first goal of the night at the 40:09 mark. Rayane Sid Ahmed gave the Barons a one-goal edge by netting a beautifully carpeted pass from George Collins.

Momentum began to shift in favor of the Rams as they were apply ing heavy pressure to the Barons’ backline. Columbia International finished the half outshooting Brewton-Parker 5-1 while sneaking in the equalizer with 50 seconds remaining in the half.

Columbia International took control of the match in the 50th minute, taking a 2-1 lead over the Barons. Chances from Victor Garces in the 60th minute and Sid Ahmed in the 63rd minute were kept away by the Rams which could’ve shifted the energy of the game to Brewton-Parker’s side.

Unfortunately for BPC, the offensive threat grew cold as the Rams remained hot on the ball. CIU netted goals in the 72nd minute as well as the 78th minute to move to a 4-1 advantage. The Rams closed out the half with a dominant 11-2 edge in total shots.

Columbia International produced a 20-8 shot advantage as well as an 8-3 edge in shots on goal.

The CIU goalkeeper notched two saves while Andrea Abwe produced four saves in his first contest back since the match against Freed-Hardeman on Aug. 24.

Sid Ahmed’s goal was one of two shots on frame for the freshman.

Garces led the way offensively for BPC with a total of three shots which included a shot on frame.

A total of 10 Barons had to compete in the full 90 minutes of play with just two reserves available on the bench for the nights' contest.

The Barons return to action on Thursday with a match against Florida College slated for 7 p.m. ET in Mount Vernon.