BOX SCORE

BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Andrew Celsus scored in the 73rd minute to force overtime on the road at Long Island Saturday night, as the Columbia men's soccer team played the Blackbirds to a 1-1 tie.

LIU-Brooklyn wasted little time getting on the board, scoring in the third minute of the contest. The Blackbirds worked the ball up the right side and then into the box where Jakeem Johnson was able to send a pass to Robert Soto who knocked it into the back of the net, inside the far post.

Between the 12th and 20th minutes, Columbia reeled off five shots, but the equalizer was not among those attempts.

It was a middle-third battle through the remainder of the half, as LIU took a 1-0 lead into the halftime intermission.

The Lions recorded the first shot of the second stanza, a Quentin Grigsby blast that went wide in the 56th minute. Columbia kept the pressure on, as Jack Gagne had his header attempt off a Kofi Agyapong corner kick go just wide of the post in the 68th minute.

The Columbia intensity would pay off just five minutes later, as Celsus slammed home a rebound to even the game at 1-1. Celsus corralled the ball off an Agyapong attempt and put it past the LIU goalie.

Neither team would place a shot on goal through the remainder of the second half, sending the contest to overtime. In the first overtime, the Lions had three early chances off corner kicks, but were unable to connect. LIU's lone shot of the first extra period was saved by Columbia keeper, Kyle Jackson. The tension of the match came to a head at the conclusion of the first overtime, as Columbia's Grigsby and LIU's Nathan Stockie were each issued yellow cards.

In the second overtime, both goalkeepers came up with saves in the final minutes to preserve the 1-1 tie. In the 107th, Stockie turned away an Agyapong attempt, while Jackson deterred Tanner Sica from scoring in the final minute.

Both teams finished with 15 shots, while Columbia held the edge in corner kicks, 12-9. Jackson finished the game with six saves, as Columbia moves to 2-4-1 on the season. The Lions will next be in action Tuesday, making the short trip to Queens, N.Y. to square off against St. John's.