Soccer Game Preview: Father McGivney Catholic vs. Columbia

Father McGivney Catholic is 1-6 against Columbia since August of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The Griffins will look to defend their home pitch against the Eagles at 6:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Father McGivney Catholic sitting on five straight wins and Columbia on three.

Father McGivney Catholic is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. While the 2-2 score might suggest a draw, it was the Griffins who were credited with the victory. Father McGivney Catholic got it done in the shootout by posting seven goals to Massac County's six. The final result isn't all that surprising considering Father McGivney Catholic's considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois soccer rankings (they are ranked 41st, while Massac County are ranked 191st).

Will Rakers and Graham Baker scored both of Father McGivney Catholic's goals, bringing their combined season tally to 31 goals.

On Tuesday, Columbia got the win against Marquette Catholic by a conclusive 4-1. Columbia might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 15 contests by three goals or more this season.

Father McGivney Catholic's win bumped their record up to 21-4-1. As for Columbia, their victory bumped their record up to 20-5-3.

Father McGivney Catholic came out on top in a nail-biter against Columbia in their previous matchup back in September, sneaking past 1-0. Will the Griffins repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.