CLEVELAND, Ga. (October 30, 2025) – On Friday, the No. 3-seeded Truett McConnell University men's soccer team defeated No. 6-seeded Columbia College (S.C.), 1-0, in the quarterfinal round of the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament on Wednesday evening, advancing to the semifinal round.

PLAY-BY-PLAY
The Bears and Koalas opened the match with early exchanges, as both teams fought to establish possession. TMU earned their first look in the 11th minute when Willy Wustirch's attempt was blocked, followed by a header from James Aspinall and a strike from Marco Mandelka, both narrowly missing the goal. The Bears continued to apply pressure as Jovica Lazarevic and Roman Reynolds each tested the Koalas keeper. TMU finally broke through in the 41st minute when Carlos Ruiz found the back of the net off an assist from Reynolds, giving the Bears a 1-0 advantage heading into the half.

Early in the second half, Columbia earned a penalty kick in the 52nd minute, but keeper Euan Brindley came up with a clutch save to preserve the lead. From there, the Bears continued to dominate offensively, outshooting Columbia 24-15, including 16 second-half attempts. Despite a late push from the Koalas, TMU held firm to secure the shutout victory.

LEADERS
Ruiz led the way for the Bears with one goal, while Reynolds tallied one assist. Keeper Brindley was featured recording nine saves on the evening.

UP NEXT
The No. 3-seeded Bears advance to the AAC Tournament semifinal round, where they will face No. 2 Milligan University on Tuesday, November 4. Kick-off time to be determined.