Columbia Secures Last-Minute Victory as McDaid Breaks Temple's Defense

Temple spent most of the first half on the front foot, moving the ball crisply and dragging Columbia from side to side. The Owls probed from distance, slipped passes into the box, and forced Aris Taki into work from a variety of angles.

Taki met every one of those efforts. Strong hands, sharp feet, no panic.

Columbia were no passengers, either. The Lions carved out chances of their own early on, only to find Dylan Kaye in equally stubborn mood. He read crosses well, closed down one-on-ones, and turned away everything that came his way, sending both teams into the break locked at 0-0.

The pattern shifted after halftime. Columbia began to dictate more of the ball, slowing the tempo when they needed to, then snapping forward when space appeared. Temple, so fluid in the opening period, were pushed deeper and deeper as the Lions tightened their grip on midfield.

The clock kept draining. Extra time loomed.

With just two minutes left, the breakthrough finally arrived. A move built patiently by Columbia found its way to Jack McDaid on the right. One clean swing of his right foot, and the deadlock was gone.

The strike stood as the only goal of the game, sealing a 1-0 win for the Lions and leaving Temple to wonder how a night of early dominance ended with nothing.