Early Goal Leads Tartans to UAA Victory at Brandeis

(WALTHAM, Mass.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's soccer team opened University Athletic Association (UAA) play on Saturday, October 5 with a 1-0 victory on the road against Brandeis University. The Tartans are now 7-2-1 overall while the Judges drop their third game and are 8-3-0.

The Tartans pounced early and took advantage of a turnover by Brandeis deep in its own territory. Freshman Alex Adams (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny), who was recently named the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) South Rookie of the Month, picked up the ball inside the 18-yard box and fired a shot to the top right corner for her team-leading eighth goal of the season in the early moments of the fifth minute.

Nine minutes later, Adams had a shot hit the crossbar and in the 16th minute, senior Andrea Sipos (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) made her first of five saves on the day.

The Tartans put two additional shots on goal in the half but both were stopped by Victoria Richardson in goal for the Judges.

Sipos was busy in the final seven minutes of the half, making three saves to keep the Tartan advantage heading into the break.

Another crossbar was hit by the Tartans nine minutes into the second half, this time off the foot of freshman Helena Spencer (Warrenton, Va./Patriot). Sipos made her final save of the game in the 61st minute but the excitement of the game didn't end there.

Senior Emery Noll (Charlotte, N.C./David W Butler) had a shot blocked in the 78th minute and in the 80th minute, Richardson made a one-on-one save to keep the game in balance when Adams picked up another misplay by the Judges. A minute later, sophomore Stephanie Ramsay's (Lake Forest, Ill./Loyola Academy) shot was saved by Richardson. The save led to a near game equalizer as Brandeis's Katie Hayes had a shot saved by a Tartan defender in the 82nd minute.

The Tartans controlled the ball from that moment on with another shot on goal and two corner kicks in the final five minutes.

Sipos earned her fifth win of the season and first complete shutout, sharing in five others this season.

The Tartans will next host New York University on Saturday, October 12 at 11:00 a.m.