Tartans March On, Defeat Ohio Northern 1-0 in NCAA Second Round

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - The #17 Carnegie Mellon University women's soccer team defeated visiting Ohio Northern University 1-0 on Sunday, November 11 in the second round of the 2012 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship in front of an enthusiastic crowd on the Pittsburgh campus. An early first half goal held up for the Tartans who advance to the third round and won their second-ever NCAA postseason game.

The Tartans (13-1-4) pressured Ohio Northern's (13-5-5) defense early, earning four corner kicks in the first seven minutes, but broke through the defense in the 10th minute after senior Brianna Magill (Oak Brook, Ill./Downers Grove North) was fouled trying to turn on a defender.

Senior midfielder Stephanie Hare (Atlanta, Ga./The Westminster Schools) struck the free kick from 30 yards out to the far post. Her service from the left side of the field curved to the back post and between senior Katie Davis (Glen Gardner, N.J./Voorhees) and junior Rachel Contopoulos (Oakland, Calif./Berkeley) who were looking to deflect it. The ball bounced once and into the side net for Hare's second goal of the season.

Ohio Northern's first shot of the game came in the 31st minute when Lauryn Zielinski's attempt glanced just wide.

Two minutes before halftime, Ohio Northern pushed with a counter attack following a deep throw-in by the Tartans but Carnegie Mellon junior keeper Anna Albi (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day) raced off her goalline and slid to deflect the ball away from Morgan Miles at the corner of the 18-yard box.

The Polar Bears used momentum from the end of the first period to pressure the Tartans in the early minutes of the second period but were not able to take advantage of any play in their offensive final third.

The Tartans regained their composure and controlled possession while having a few chances in front of the goal but all attempts at a shot were thwarted by the Polar Bears' keeper and defense.

Albi and the backline of Contopoulos, senior Mitra Ebrahimi (Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson), sophomore Lauren Simicich (Floral Park, N.Y./Floral Park Memorial) and junior Brittany Couture (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara) withstood the late push by Ohio Northern to capture the shutout victory, Albi's seventh of the season.

The Tartans will play Wheaton (Mass.) College in the next round with the site and date to be determined Monday.