#6 Tartans End Season in Second Round of NCAA Tournament

#6 Tartans End Season in Second Round of NCAA Tournament

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - The #6 Carnegie Mellon University men's soccer team dropped a hard fought match to #10 Ohio Northern University 3-1 on Sunday, November 11 in the second round of the 2012 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship at home in Pittsburgh, Pa. After a 1-1 tie through the first half, the Polar Bears were able to use momentum generated by a save from their keeper to get ahead and put away the Tartans midway through the second period.

A give-and-go inside the six-yard box between juniors Matt Sarett (Huntersville, N.C./Cannon) and Chris Wysocki (Newtown, Pa./Germantown Academy) resulted in the first goal of the game and Wysocki's second in two games.

The score came in the 20th minute after Sarett started the play at midfield, winning a tackle and passing off to junior Mike Ferraco (Penn Hills, Pa./Penn Hills) on the right side. Ferraco then took on a few players making his way back into the center of the box where he dropped it off to Wysocki who turned and dumped it to Sarett. Wysocki made his run to the post where Sarett placed the pass for Wysocki to finish to the top net.

Six minutes later the Polar Bears collected a clearance following a free kick and Austin Windsor sent a ball forward where Stephen Perkins flicked it on with his head to Nate Bascom who put a header on frame that Carnegie Mellon keeper Christopher Madden (Reisterstown, Md./Calvert Hall) swatted in the air to his right. Keegan Ross was charging the back post and headed in the rebound for the equalizer and his 20th goal of the season.

The Tartans moved forward again but were unable to get a shot off as the Polar Bear defense packed the box eliminating space.

Madden had another tough save on a header attempt by Bascom in the 35th minute that he punched over the bar keeping the score at 1-1.

Four minutes into the second period the Tartans were in their final third again as senior John Crawshaw (Carnegie, Pa./Carylnton) got around a defender along the goalline and played a diagonal ball to Ferraco at the corner of the box. Ferraco one-timed a pass toward the back post that a charging Cole Christensen (Castle Rock, Colo./Rock Canyon) just missed deflecting.

A minute later, Polar Bear keeper Mac Church made a diving save when junior Max Tassano (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./Lower Merion) fired a shot inside 10 yards through traffic.

In the 57th minute, Chris Matejka and Cameron Johnson played a give-and-go that Matejka settled forward with his chest to his foot and placed the shot to the side net for the 2-1 Polar Bear advantage.

Two minutes later the Polar Bears added to the lead with a header goal by Perkins off a corner kick by Matejka.

Luck continued to fall the Polar Bears way when a shot by senior defender Ben Bryant (Toledo, Ohio/Ottawa Hills) hit the post in the 60th minute.

The remaining 30 minutes saw both teams fight for possession with each keeper making a save.

The Tartans finish the season with a record of 13-4-1 while the Polar Bears advance to the third round to face Susquehanna University.