The Columbia Lions opened their 2026 season on a challenging note, falling 4-2 to Army West Point in a penalty shootout after a tightly contested match.
Early Dominance by the Black Knights
Army struck first in the 20th minute when Jack De Simone threaded a precise through ball that set up the opening goal. The Black Knights added a second shortly thereafter, with Jubril Bamgbala finishing a set-piece routine to make it 2-0.
Columbia responded after the break, as first‑year forward Ethan Heyward struck to pull one back in the 60th minute. Henning Myrvang followed with a well‑placed finish in the same period, narrowing the gap to 2-1.
Army Extends Lead
The visitors answered back when Zhai converted a low drive in the 69th minute, extending the lead to 3-1. A header from Kelly Cooper soon after pushed the score to 4-1, forcing Columbia into a frantic chase.
Despite outshot Army 11‑3 in the second half, the Lions could not find the net again, with their second goal arriving only after a late push that cut the deficit to 4-2.
Next up, Columbia will host Fairfield on Saturday, September 5, looking to rebound from the defeat and fine‑tune their attacking rhythm.