Columbus, Ind. – The IU Columbus men's soccer team looked poised to secure a non-conference win on Tuesday night, but a late goal from Trinity Christian in the 87th minute forced a 1–1 draw at Circle K Fieldhouse at Nexus Park. The Crimson Pride move to 3-1-1 on the year.
IU Columbus opened the scoring midway through the first half when Saulo Luna finished a pass from Christian Cardoso in the 23rd minute to put the Crimson Pride ahead 1–0. The home side carried that advantage into halftime, with goalkeeper Jacob Kasarda making several key saves to keep the Troll's off the board.
The Crimson Pride continued to defend well in the second half, but Trinity Christian's pressure finally broke through in the 87th minute as Pablo Nielfa netted the equalizer to even the match at 1–1.
Despite conceding late, IU Columbus leaned heavily on its defensive unit, anchored by Kasarda, who turned away nine shots on goal while posting 10 total saves. Cardoso, Luna, and Alejandro Alvarez were active in the attack, combining for four of the team's seven shots.
The match proved to be a physical contest, with both sides combining for seven yellow cards, five of which went to IU Columbus.
Next Up: The Crimson Pride now turn their focus to the road, traveling to Goshen College on Saturday (Sept. 13). Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM.
