Tartans Tie Wittenberg in Home Opener

Tartans Tie Wittenberg in Home Opener

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – After 110 minutes of the play the Carnegie Mellon University women's soccer team tied 0-0 versus Wittenberg University on Saturday, September 8 in the opening game of the DoubleTree Tartan Cup. The Tartans are now 1-0-2 on the year while the Tigers sit at 1-1-1.

In the 36th minute, junior keeper Anna Albi (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day) made a sliding kick save as Wittenberg's Kayla Murphy got around the defense on the left side and headed straight for the goal. Albi cut the distance and saved the shot by Murphy.

Twenty seconds later, Tartan freshman Carson Quiros (Atlanta, Ga./Whitefield Academy) tested Wittenberg keeper Cassie Lythjohan with a mid-level shot that dived causing Lythjohan to scoop it for the save. Quiros got forward on a counter attack following Albi's save.

In the 42nd minute, junior Cecilia Zischkau (Washington, D.C./Oakcrest) put a header on frame that Lythjohan had to swat away to keep the score 0-0.

Following a corner kick by sophomore Lucy Havens (Seattle, Wash./Holy Names Academy), junior Rachel Contopoulos (Oakland, Calif./Berkeley) had a header blocked. The ball found its way to senior Mitra Ebrahimi's (Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson) foot but her attempt on goal was saved by a Wittenberg defender standing at the post.

Wittenberg had an early chance to get on the board but the Tartan defense recovered and teamed up to keep the net empty.

Kaylee Gialamas and Murphy combined to get around the backline and into the center but Albi once again came off her line and made a sliding kick save. The rebound from Murphy's shot went straight to Gialamas inside the six-yard box. Ebrahimi raced back to the post and was there to clear Gialamas' shot.

In the 66th minute, junior Alex Venegas (Los Angeles, Calif./Harvard-Westlake) mis-fired on a shot that was just high of the goal after she collected a poor clearance from Lythjohan.

After getting by a defender on the right side, sophomore Savina Reid (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y./Briarcliff) centered a ball to the near post for sophomore Amanda So (Fairfax Station, Va./Lake Braddock Secondary) but her attempt to put something on frame was deflected wide.

The Tartans had the better of the opportunities throughout the first extra period but were unable to connect on their six shots.

Venegas nearly scored the game-winner in the first minute of the second overtime period but her header past Wittenberg keeper Lythjohan trickled just wide of the post.

The Tartans will play Penn State Behrend on Sunday, September 9 at 2:00 p.m. to close out the DoubleTree Tartan Cup.