Koalas Take Care Of Rams on Road

Despite a slow and frustrating start on the road in their second AAC contest of the season, the Columbia College Koalas were able to come away with a 9-2 victory against the Bluefield College Rams on Wednesday afternoon.

Columbia applied pressure to Bluefield from the off and went close a number of times before, in their first foray into the Koalas half, the Rams were able to take the lead in the 16th minute of the game.

The goal flipped a switch for the visiting Koalas, however, and they were able to score within four minutes to even the game.  A long ball by Junior Lakelee Aldrich was brought down by Junior Madison Stewart, and her cross found Sophomore Kianna Dodge who fired the ball into the net from close range to make the score 1-1. Just three minuters later Columbia took the lead for good when Sophomore. Jordan Myers ran onto a through ball from Aldrich which she slipped past the keeper at the near post to make it 2-1.

Within three minutes it was 3-1, as freshman Adrianna Machado secured her first collegiate point with a cross that found Stewart, and she controlled the ball neatly before smashing it into the top corner with her left foot.

Myers added her second goal of the game in the 28th minute as she scored an "Olimpico," curling the ball directly in from a corner to make it 4-1 to the Koalas.

Great pressure brought the fifth goal, as Sophomore Taylor Sage nicked the ball off a Rams defender before squaring it for Sophomore Isabella Gurrieri, who duly dispatched the ball into the net for the Koalas 5-1 lead.

After letting in a late goal to end the first half, Columbia got the scoring started quickly in the second half as good ball movement allowed Stewart to play a through ball to Myers, who blasted the ball into the back of the net at the near post to make it 6-2 Columbia after just 26 seconds. 

Freshman Ariana Barrow then got in on the points act four minutes later, combining well with Myers before sending her through and Myers did the rest to secure her fourth goal of the game to make it 7-2 Koalas.

Freshman Summer Dockstader added a terrific goal in the 52nd minute, scoring from a free kick from 25 yards out for her first collegiate goal to make the scoreline 8-2.

Myers rounded out the scoring in the 74th to make it 9-2 off another assist from Aldrich as a through ball beat the Rams defenders and Myers slid it home with her left foot to score five goals in a game for the second time in her career.

In the match, Columbia outshot the Rams 26-3.  The Koalas return to AAC action this weekend when they host the Brenau University Golden Tigers at 7PM at Younts Stadium.