COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Truett McConnell University Bears (9-1-2 overall, 8-0-0 AAC) have now matched their men's soccer program record for most Appalachian Athletic Conference wins in a single season after a 2-1 victory over the Columbia International University Rams (5-5-3 overall, 3-2-2 AAC) at Sessions Field Wednesday.
The Bears' trend of scoring within the first 13 minutes a majority of their contests continued on Wednesday with a 13
th minute corner kick header conversion by
Roman Reynolds, assisted by
Nick Jeising from the left flag. Jeising has now contributed a goal or assist in three out of his last five starts while Reynolds moves to five goals on the season.
Columbia International showed resilience after conceding early, earning a penalty kick in the 24
th minute that was delivered to the back of the net by Nathan King to even the contest. Following the equalizer, the Bears outshot the Rams 3-2 and offered two shots on target, but both were saved by Vasillos Diakomihalis.
The contest remained knotted well into the second half, as both sides attempted a flurry of shots, leading to four second-half saves for Diakomihalis, as well as three post-intermission stoppages for TMU keeper
Jakob Hendrickson. With less than five minutes left on the scoreboard in Columbia S.C., senior
Pablo Farrona broke away from the defense off a downfield clearance by
Carlos Ruiz and slotted the decider into the bottom right corner to claim the win for Truett McConnell. The goal not only serves as Farrona's seventh score of the season, but also marks his third straight appearance with a game-winning goal.
Thanks to the Spaniard's late-game efforts, Truett McConnell men's soccer now matches its program record for the most Appalachian Athletic Conference match wins in a single season with eight, set in 2024. The Bears also extend their overall active win streak to nine games.
The Bears will carry their momentum forward with another AAC contest on Wednesday, Oct. 21 when they host the Reinhardt University Eagles.
