No. 7 Tartans Open Season with 5-0 Victory

(ERIE, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's soocer team, ranked seventh in the nation, began the year with a 5-0 win against Penn State Behrend at the Herb Lauffer Memorial Soccer Tournament hosted by Penn State Behrend on Friday, September 4.

Sophomore Grant Wilmer (Atlanta, Ga./Holy Innocents' Episcopal School) scored her first career goal in the 14th minute off an assist from sophomore Tori Iatarola (West Dundee, Ill./Loyola Academy). Iatarola chipped a pass over the defense and Wilmer blasted the ball into the right corner.

Nine minutes later, senior Louisa Pendergast (Snohomish, Wash./Glacier Peak) connected with the net for her first goal of the season, as she chipped a shot into an open net to give the Tartans a 2-0 advantage. Senior Carson Quiros (Atlanta, Ga./Whitefield Academy) earned the assist on the play.

Two minutes and twenty-seven seconds before halftime, junior Megan Bartoshuk (Redwood City, Calif./Sequoia) put a shot past Taylor Troyan off an assist from freshman Kaily Bruch (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) when she crossed the ball in front of the net off the endline for Bartoshuk to run onto and finish.

The Tartans added to the scoreline in the 61st minute when Wilmer scored for the second time. The sophomore scored off a rebound. The final goal of the game came in the 79th minute when freshman Tessa Allen (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Bishop Montgomery) converted a header off a corner kick from sophomore Missy Dominick (Phoenix, Ariz./Arcadia) for her first career marker.

Junior Katie Liston (Lakewood, Ohio/Montessori HS at University Circle) recorded the shutout making two saves in 90 minutes.

"Today was a good start to what is hopefully a long season," head coach Yon Struble said. "Playing Behrend at their home is a challenge. They are a very succesful and well coached team that has made the NCAA tournament the past three years. To come here and score five goals from four different players is no easy task.

"We've been working on some specific things in training and they executed them well today," Struble added. "I was really proud of the team effort and our desire to start the season off with a win."

The Tartans return to action on Saturday, September 5 at 5:00 p.m. against the College of Wooster at Penn State Behrend.