By, Jake Karp

High emotions were on full display in this intense first round matchup between Columbia and Bayonne resulting in a commanding victory for the Cougars on their home turf.

A bullet to the top left corner off a free kick by Sophomore Sam Brash opened up the scoring quickly followed by Sophomore Mathew Molica delivering a nearly identical shot, giving the Cougars a 2-0 lead going into halftime. Senior Mason Beaupierre took advantage of a fortunate deflection and sealed the deal in the second half with a fast break score. 

“Today we were able to take our chances well, we put away two quick in the first twenty minutes, that’s what we’re looking to do…I think we did a good job.” Molica said after the game.

But it was a two-sided effort for Columbia as their defense was impeccable, allowing minimal shots on goal. “We all work as a unit,” Cougar Defender Wolfe Ginsburg added.

Led by head coach Ryan Muirhead, the 9-8-3 Cougars have dropped their last four games coming into this one, but teamwork, concentration, and all-out hustle were key components to Columbia’s ability to dominate possession throughout this battle and put up three unanswered goals against a physical Bayonne squad. 

“[This win gives us] a lot of motivation…it’s a big win. We’ve lost the last four after our big win against Montclair, so we’ve been in a bit of a down stretch, but I think we really bounced back today with a big win and we’re ready for the next round,” Matthew Molica said, looking ahead to the next round.

Despite the shutout loss that marked the end of their season, the Bayonne Fighting Bees, led by first year head coach Jonothan Bilbao, had a respectable fall campaign finishing with a 10-9-1 record and winning the National Division in the HCIAL. Junior Goaltender Brandon Drago led the conference in saves with 210, adding 17 more in today’s loss.

Columbia, who hasn’t reached the Quarterfinals in 15+ years, will be matched up with #4 Newark East Side in the second round (Date/Time – TBD).