Box Score The IU Columbus men's soccer team knew their conference opener would be a tough task as they went on the road to play last year's national runner-up West Virginia Tech. The Crimson Pride went toe-to-toe with the Golden Bears for the entire game, with the outcome decided in the final minutes.

The first half was a defensive battle as neither team could find the net. The visitors had only one shot on goal, compared to the home team's three shots on goal, leaving the game scoreless going into the break.

The defensive theme continued throughout the second half as well. The Golden Bears finally broke the scoring drought at 84:06 on a goal by Oliver Bonning with an assist from Gonzalo Sabeh. 

The statistics favored the Golden Bears as they outshot the Crimson Pride with a 12-3 edge in shots on goal. They also had an 11-4 advantage in corner kicks. The visitors were called for 13 fouls and four yellow cards compared to the hosts' eight fouls and two yellow cards.

Head Coach Kevin Nolan: "I'm extremely pleased with our effort today. We went toe-to-toe with last year's national runner-up. We had chances to win the game ourselves but just couldn't convert. Our goalkeeper, sophomore Jordin Jones, was outstanding and kept us in it, along with our back line. I know it shows up as a loss, but this is a loss we can build momentum from. It will give the guys confidence that they can play with the best of them. Now we have to get ready for Brescia."

Next on the schedule: Conference play continues as the Crimson Pride travel to Owensboro, KY to play Brescia University on Thursday at 8:00 pm