Reigning AAC Offensive Player of the Week Joao Costa scored three goals for the Truett McConnell men’s soccer team as the Bears defeated Columbia International, 4-2, Saturday afternoon at the TMU Soccer Complex. With the win, the Bears are now 6-6 overall.
Costa opened the scoring in the 25th minute off of a free kick that bent over the keeper’s outstretched arms and into the upper right corner of the net to put TMU up, 1-0.
After conceding a goal going into the half, the Bears came out firing in the second half. Frederico Divino got the Bears back in the lead as he took the ball past the Rams’ keeper and found a wide open net for a 2-1 lead.
Costa got back in the scoring column with the final two goals of the match for TMU. In the 61st minute, the two-time AAC Offensive Player of the Week took a pass from Divino and dribbled right around the goalie for a 3-1 lead. Almost 10 minutes later, Costa had another free kick goal that slipped through the goalie’s hands to make the score 4-1. CIU found a goal in the 86th minute to bring the match to its final score.
Costa now has 19 goals this season, putting him in second place in the national statistical category, one goal behind the national leader.
