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The Columbus Cardinals’ varsity soccer team played in some of their highest- scoring and tight matchups of the season over their last week of competition. They met with the Palacios Sharks for their first game of the week and hosted the Rice Raiders over the weekend. The Cards had to battle in both games, but they were able to find the win in each outing. Each game finished with a 4-3 final score, hinting at the how close each competition truly was.
Vs Palacios, W, 4-3
Columbus got the first win of the week and their third victory in a row when they faced off against the Sharks for one of the more exciting games of the season. It was a stark difference from the schools’ first matchup that ended with a defensive, 2-1 scoreline in favor of the Cards. The offensive attacks from both teams were able to create several chances as the game went on, leading to the high number of goals between the two squads. The Sharks’ three goals marked the highest number of goals allowed by Columbus in a victory this season.
Tomas Elias took the scoring lead with a brace and finished as the only Cardinal with multiple goals. Cullen Russell and Giovanni Martinez matched Elias’s goal total with one apiece to help the Cards secure the victory.
Vs Rice, W, 4-3
The Cards had a hard-fought game against the nearby Rice Raiders as the teams played out their second matchup of the season. Rice had a much better outing in the rematch as their offense has improved since that matchup. Despite the Raiders much improved offense, the Cards took the advantage in the first half by scoring two goals and holding Rice to just one.
The Raiders took their offensive attack to another level in the second half, scoring two more goals following halftime. However, Rice’s defense allowed another two goals from the Cardinals as Columbus scored a clutch final goal to maintain the lead until the final whistle.
