Fayette, Mo. - In a long awaited showdown between two sides separated by just 30 miles, Wednesday night's matchup between No. 7 Central and No. 12 Columbia College did not disappoint, as a late inning goal by senior midfielder Andrea Villar propelled CMU to a 1-0 victory over the Cougars. 

Tonight's match was the first time the two squads have met since the 2013 season. With the victory, Central improves to 2-0 overall on a young 2021 campaign, while the Cougars fall to 0-1. 

It was a defensive stalemate for the first 88 minutes of action and it appeared the match would head to extra time. However, with just under two minutes remaining, a blunder by the Columbia College goal keeper gave Villar an easy look at goal for her third score of the season. 

Overall, Central tallied 10 total shots and three coming on goal compared to just four shots and one on goal for the Cougars. 

Villar led the CMU offense with five shots, two on goal, including the game winner. Maria Cervello tallied two shots, while Alicia Zamora, Marcella Helena, and Sandra Jakobsen each collected one. 

The 1-0 shutout marks the fifth clean sheet for Central in its last seven matches, dating back to the 2020-21 campaign. 

CMU continues its two-match home stand with a match against Missouri Baptist Saturday, Sept. 4 at 5:00 p.m. at Davis Field. 

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