COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Columbia College men's soccer team's quest for an American Midwest Conference (AMC) Tournament championship came up just short on Tuesday, falling 2-1 to Harris-Stowe State University (Mo.) in a match that was not decided until the final whistle.
The Cougars (10-6-3) battled the Hornets (10-6-3) in a match that lived up to its championship billing, with the outcome coming down to the last seconds when Lindo Zimba's shot was saved by Harris-Stowe goalkeeper in the 90th minute.
Columbia struck first when Joshua Peterson found the back of the net in the 13th minute off an assist from Faraj Shee, giving the Cougars an early 1-0 advantage. The goal was Peterson's fifth of the season.
The Cougars carried that lead into halftime despite being outshot 9-4 in the opening period, with goalkeeper Mason Beck making two saves to preserve the advantage.
Harris-Stowe equalized the match just under five minutes into the second half. The Hornets then grabbed the lead in the 85th minute, which proved to be the deciding goal of the match.
The Cougars pressed hard in the final minutes, outshooting Harris-Stowe 15-4 in the second half and earning three corner kicks.
Columbia nearly salvaged the match when Zimba's late effort was turned away by the Harris-Stowe keeper.
Cameron Watts led the offensive attack with three shots on goal, while Beck made two saves in the loss. The Cougars finished with a 22-13 advantage in total shots but were unable to collect the win.
