Pioneers Show Grit in Scoreless Draw with Columbia

SPARTANBURG, SC – Spartanburg Methodist College and Columbia College entered Tuesday's matchup vying for a spot in the upcoming Appalachian Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Tournament. 

Both teams created scoring opportunities throughout the 90 minutes, but neither side could find the back of the net as the match ended in a 0-0 draw at Nash Soccer Field.

The tightly contested match saw each team come close to a breakthrough goal. Columbia had two shots hit the crossbar, while SMC narrowly missed on a pair of chances that sailed just over the crossbar on a sunny but windy afternoon.

"I'm proud of the way our guys competed today," said SMC head coach Doug Smith. "We created good chances and stayed disciplined defensively. It's never easy to keep a clean sheet in a match with this much on the line, and our effort shows the growth and resilience of this group."

SMC held a 10-8 advantage in total shots. Anthoney Bedolla Menera and Joaquin Gillum led the Pioneers' attack with three shots each, while the Koalas' Jacob Madeiros and Natnael Michael tallied two apiece.

In goal, Francesco Molinar recorded three saves for the Pioneers, matching Columbia's Mathias Gravesen, who also finished with three.

Next up for SMC is the regular-season finale on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 3:30 p.m. when the Pioneers travel to Cleveland, Georgia, to face Truett McConnell.