Yow's Brace Leads Columbia Women's Soccer to 2-1 Win Over Brown

October 2, 2011

NEW YORK -- First-year forward Alexa Yow scored a pair of first-half goals and the Columbia women's soccer team picked up its second straight Ivy League victory, a 2-1 triumph over Brown on Saturday evening. With the win, the Lions remain atop the conference standings and are knotted with Harvard at 2-0.

The Lions got on the board early, as junior defender Isabel King sent a long ball up top to sophomore Coleen Rizzo in the 10th minute. Rizzo settled, and found Yow who was streaking down the right side. Yow accepted the pass, turned and fired a left-footed shot that snuck inside the far post to give Columbia a 1-0 lead.

Yow nearly had her second of the night as her header off a cross from senior Ashlin Yahr hit the crossbar. The Farmington, Conn. native nearly cashed in her rebound but a shot on goal was blocked out of bounds by a Bear defender.

Persistance would pay off minutes later, as Yow again hit the crossbar with a header in the 19th minute but the iron was much kinder this time. After sophomore Chelsea Ryan took a throw in deep in Brown territory, Yahr got a head on it and flicked it toward the middle of the box. Yow was there, and headed it off the bottom of the iron and in to put the score at 2-0.

Columbia went into the locker room with the two-goal cushion, but saw Brown come out in the second half an assert itself. The Bears put pressure on the Lions throughout the first 35 minutes and would eventually cut their deficit in half in the 72nd minute.

Marybeth Lesbirel sent a long cross from the right side into the box on the left, and found Kirsten Belinsky. Belinsky looped a shot over senior Lillian Klein to put the score at 2-1.

The Bears continued to press over the final 18 minutes, but Columbia held sturdy defensively and negated any attack that came its way.

Klein closed with a pair of saves in picking up her fourth victory of the season.

Columbia returns to action on Monday, Oct. 3 at Lehigh. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.