Columbia Lions Secure 2–0 Victory Over Manhattan Jaspers

RIVERDALE, N.Y. — Columbia didn’t just grind out another road result. It imposed itself.

Second-half goals from Ethan Heyward and Stepan Kapranov carried the Lions to a 2–0 win over Manhattan at Gaelic Park on Saturday, sealing a second straight victory, a second straight clean sheet, and a reminder that this group might be finding something on its travels for the first time in years.

Columbia, now 2-1-1, tightened its all-time grip on the series to 11-1-3 against the Jaspers. Manhattan slipped to 2-3-0. More quietly, but just as telling, the Lions have now won back-to-back road games for the first time since 2018.

Heyward breaks it open

For 57 minutes, it was tense and tight. Manhattan pressed early, Columbia absorbed, and the game lived on a knife edge.

Then a set piece cracked it.

In the 58th minute, Jack McDaid swung in a corner that drifted to the far post, where first-year defender Joshua Sosa rose to meet it. His header crashed off the woodwork, the ball ricocheting loose in the six-yard box. Heyward reacted first, pouncing on the rebound and burying it to give Columbia a 1–0 lead.

It was Heyward’s third goal of the season, pulling him level with McDaid for the team lead. A poacher’s finish, but also a payoff for a more assertive Columbia side after the break.

The goal shifted the entire mood. Manhattan, which had asked the early questions, suddenly found itself chasing shadows.

Kapranov seals it in style

The second goal was pure craft.

In the 78th minute, midfielder Luke Zielinski took control in the center of the pitch and threaded a pass into Kapranov, who was holding off his defender about 10 yards outside the box. With his back to goal, Kapranov didn’t hesitate, flicking a clever one-touch pass into the path of Fadel Kone.

Kone returned it immediately on the give-and-go, springing Kapranov through the heart of the defense. Clean in on goal, Kapranov picked his spot and lashed his finish into the top-right corner.

Two passes. One ruthless run. A 2–0 cushion that felt decisive.

Taki stands tall in the first half

Columbia’s attacking surge after halftime owed plenty to the platform built in the opening 45 minutes, when Manhattan looked far more dangerous.

Goalkeeper Aris Taki had to be sharp. He denied Cristiano Marsilii twice in quick succession, turning away efforts in the 29th and 33rd minutes, then pushed aside a strike from Giovanni Rivera in the 36th. Each stop kept the game level, each one buying Columbia time to settle.

By the interval, the Lions had weathered the worst of it. They made it count.

Over the final 45 minutes, Columbia outshot Manhattan 10–3, with Oli Sacks and Jackson ten Oever both forcing saves from substitute goalkeeper Philip Isaksson, who came on for the Jaspers to start the second half.

Taki finished with four saves on the day, locking down his second career victory and his second straight shutout in as many starts. For a team trying to rebuild its road identity, a confident goalkeeper changes everything.

Road swing rolls on

The win pushes Columbia to the brink of a perfect three-game road trip. The finale comes Tuesday at 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 — now the question is whether the Lions can turn a strong week on the road into a statement stretch for their season.