No. 23 Tartans Rally to Win 3-2 Against NYU

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - A big second half by the No. 23 Carnegie Mellon University men's soccer team propelled the Tartans to a 3-2 come-from-behind win against visiting New York University on Sunday in University Athletic Association (UAA) action. The Tartans improve to 10-2-1 and 3-1 while the Violets fall to 6-5-3 and 0-3-1.

New York took an early lead with a goal at the 3:10 mark when Colm Dillane sent a distant shot over the defense and past keeper Christopher Madden (Reisterstown, Md./Calvert Hall) when the Tartans felt he was offsides.

A minute later, New York struct again off a free kick from the right side and about 25 yards out. Dillane served the ball into the box where Mickey Ingerman had a free look at the goal and finished to the lower corner.

The Tartans had a few opportunities to put one on the scoreboard but Violet keeper Forrest Sexton made three saves in the period while two shots were blocked by the defense. Graduate student Moni Sallam (Clarksville, Md./River Hill) header in the last minute of the period glanced off the crossbar as the period ended with the Violets ahead 2-0.

The Tartans pressed early in the second half putting another three shots on goal that reserve keeper Lucas Doucette saved.

In the 65th minute, senior Mike Ferraco (Penn Hills, Pa./Penn Hills) cut the Violet lead in half with a shot to the lower far post following a pass across the box by senior Max Tassano (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./Lower Merion). The goal was Ferraco's first of the season.

Five minutes later the Tartans were back in their final third with a throw-in inside of 18 yards. Senior Jerome Reano (Albuquerque, N.M./Saint Pius X) threw the ball to the far post where Sallam rised above the defense and headed home the equalizer for his first goal of the season.

With 12:50 to play, the Tartans won the ball in defense as junior Ian Rosado (Albuquerque, N.M./Albuquerque Academy) played the ball 70 yards up field to Tassano who flicked it forward with his back to the goal. Reano ran onto the ball, settled it and finished to the far post for what would be the game winner at 12:34.

Madden earned the win, making zero saves for the game, and moved his record to 8-2-1 for the year.

The Tartans will be back on the pitch on Friday, November 1 when they travel to Case Western Reserve University for a 5:00 p.m. match against the Spartans (6-4-4, 1-2-1).