Columbia Lions Secure 2-0 Victory Over Manhattan
RIVERDALE, N.Y. — Columbia needed a spark. It left Gaelic Park with a statement.
Second-half goals from Ethan Heyward and Stepan Kapranov powered the Lions to a 2–0 win over Manhattan on Saturday, sealing a second straight victory, a second straight clean sheet, and a reminder of how dangerous this team can look when it clicks after the break.
Columbia, now 2-1-1, tightened its historical grip on the series, improving to 11-1-3 all-time against the Jaspers. It also strung together back-to-back road wins for the first time since 2018. Manhattan dropped to 2-3-0.
Heyward breaks it open
For 57 minutes, the game simmered. Manhattan pressed. Columbia absorbed. The woodwork got involved before the scoreboard did.
The deadlock finally snapped in the 58th minute from a set piece. Jack McDaid whipped in a corner to the far post, where first-year defender Joshua Sosa rose to meet it. His header crashed off the frame of the goal, but the rebound fell perfectly for Heyward, who reacted quickest and buried it to make it 1–0.
It was Heyward’s third goal of the season, pulling him level with McDaid for the team lead. A poacher’s finish, and a turning point.
Kapranov seals it with style
Once in front, Columbia started to play with a different edge. The Lions pushed higher, kept the ball longer, and began to stretch a tiring Manhattan side.
The pressure turned into a cushion in the 78th minute, and it was the best move of the afternoon.
Operating centrally, Luke Zielinski took control in midfield and slid a pass into Kapranov, who had his back to goal about 10 yards outside the box. Kapranov’s touch was sharp and instinctive — a one-touch flick into the path of Fadel Kone, who immediately returned the ball on the give-and-go.
Suddenly Kapranov was through. Clean on goal, he picked his spot and drove his finish into the top-right corner, doubling the lead and killing off any lingering doubt.
Taki stands tall in the first half
Columbia’s attacking surge after halftime only mattered because of the work done by its goalkeeper before the interval.
Manhattan carried the early threat and forced Aris Taki into a busy first half. The sophomore answered every question.
In the 29th and 33rd minutes, Cristiano Marsilii twice found space and tested Taki. Both times, the Columbia keeper stood firm. When Giovanni Rivera unleashed another effort in the 36th minute, Taki again got behind it, preserving the 0–0 scoreline and giving his team the platform it needed.
By the final whistle, Taki had four saves, his second career victory, and his second straight shutout in as many starts.
Lions take control after the break
Once Columbia settled, the pattern flipped. The Lions dictated the second half, outshooting Manhattan 10–3 over the final 45 minutes and pinning the Jaspers back for long stretches.
Oli Sacks and Jackson ten Oever both forced saves from Manhattan’s second-half goalkeeper, Philip Isaksson, who came on after the break and was immediately drawn into the action. The Jaspers’ substitute keeper did well to keep the scoreline respectable for as long as he could, but the volume and quality of Columbia’s chances eventually told.
By the time Kapranov’s strike hit the top corner, Manhattan’s resistance was broken.
Columbia now turns to the final stop on its three-game road swing: a Tuesday trip to face Temple (0-4-2) at the Temple Sports Complex in Philadelphia, with kickoff set for 4 p.m. Two wins, two clean sheets, and momentum in hand — the question now is how far this road form can carry the Lions.
