COLUMBIA, Mo. – Faraj Shee scored twice and Joshua Peterson added a goal in the final seconds as the top-seeded Columbia College men's soccer team shut out No. 5 seed Hannibal-LaGrange, 3-0, in the American Midwest Conference Tournament semifinals Saturday afternoon at R. Marvin Owens Field.
With the win, the Cougars advance to the AMC Tournament championship match for the third straight season. Columbia will host No. 3 seed Williams Baptist for the conference title on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m. at R. Marvin Owens Field.
Columbia (13-2-2) has won three straight matches, while Hannibal-LaGrange falls to 7-8-4.
The Cougars controlled play from the opening whistle, putting 12 shots on net in the first half. Trojans goalkeeper Sergio Arenas made seven saves before the break, and Parker Rainwater hit the post in the 24th minute. Columbia finally broke through in the 37th minute when Shee converted a penalty kick for his 13th goal of the season. Hannibal-LaGrange nearly answered a minute later, but Haitam Kaouch's header hit the post, and the Cougars took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
Columbia doubled its lead in the 68th minute. After a Peterson corner kick, Arenas saved a Bodie Rollins header and Nick Schneider's follow-up was blocked, but Shee buried the rebound for his second goal of the day.
The Trojans hit the post for a second time in the 80th minute on an Enzo Moro header. Peterson then sealed it, scoring with two seconds left in regulation for his fourth goal of the season.
Columbia outshot Hannibal-LaGrange 21-10 and held an 11-2 advantage in shots on goal. Peterson led the Cougars with five shots, three of them on goal, and Shee put all four of his shots on frame.
Mason Beck played the full 90 minutes in goal for the shutout, making two saves. Arenas finished with eight saves for Hannibal-LaGrange.
Both teams had seven corner kicks. Hannibal-LaGrange was called for 20 fouls to Columbia's 16, and the Cougars picked up three yellow cards.
Notes: Shee leads the Cougars with 14 goals this season... Columbia swept the season series with Hannibal-LaGrange after a 1-0 win on Oct. 27... The Cougars are making their 17th appearance in the AMC Tournament final and are seeking their 12th conference tournament title and first since 2023... Columbia finished runner-up in 2024 and 2025... The Cougars tied Williams Baptist 2-2 in Walnut Ridge, Ark., on Oct. 13... Columbia received a first-round bye after winning the AMC regular-season title with a 4-0-1 conference record.
