Early Goals Hold Up in Physical Match Against IU Columbus

UPLAND, Ind. –Taylor scored a pair of early goals and withstood continued pressure from IU Columbus (2-3-1) to earn a 2-1 victory in its final non-league match of 2024.

The Trojans made the most of their first look at the Crimson Pride goal early in the first half. After pressing upfield, the forward line dispossessed the Crimson Pride, and the ball fell to Elias Munoz, who calmly slotted home from inside the six-yard box to give TU the lead in the fourth minute.

The Taylor attack continued to put its foot on the pedal and forced three saves before converting a corner sent in by Justin Devlin. Matt Yoder was poised at the far side of the box and fired a header into the back of the net for a 2-0 advantage in the 21st minute. The towering sophomore leads the squad with four goals this season, more than any player had a year ago.

The Trojans forced two more saves in the next two minutes as they tried to extend the lead, but the Crimson Pride found a goal of their own in the 31st minute against the run of play to cut the deficit to one.

Both teams pressed to score another throughout the rest of the half, but the defenses held steady to keep the score at 2-1 heading into halftime.

The physical play between the two sides escalated in the second half, and all told, seven players received a yellow card in the match.

IU Columbus was the aggressor in the second stanza, firing 10 of its 17 shots after the break. Sam Spiegel and the Trojan defense held strong with six saves and several blocks to keep the narrow advantage until the final whistle blew.

Munoz was a force in the match for TU, firing off a career-high six shots and forcing three saves in addition to finding the back of the net for the second time in his freshman season.

Taylor (4-2-1) has a week off before beginning Crossroads League action on the road, with a match against Saint Francis (5-3-0) on Wednesday, September 25, with kick-off set for 7:00 pm.