Late Goal Sinks Tartans in OT at Misericordia

(DALLAS, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's soccer team, ranked fifth in the United Soccer Coaches National Poll, surrendered its first goal of the season late in the first overtime period at Misericordia University on Sunday afternoon. The Tartans are now 4-1 for the year while the Cougars, who played in the national sectional semifinal in 2018 and the national semifinals in 2012, move to 4-0 for the season.

With roughly 30 seconds to go in overtime, Misericordia's goalkeeper sent a punt across half field. It bounced between a few players before a Cougar midfielder volleyed a pass up the sideline for Maegan Allspach. The junior forward was able to beat junior defender Nikki Hasson (Torrance, Calif. / California Academy of Mathematics and Science) to the ball and put a pass back off the goalline to the center of the six-yard box between two other Tartan defenders for Michaela Fasolino to calmly place a right-footed shot to the left of graduate goalkeeper Carolyn Botz (St. Louis, Mo. / MICDS) for the winner.

The Tartans had 13 shots in the game with four on frame. Misericordia's keeper made a diving save in the 63rd minute when freshman Emma Shirzad (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. / The Benjamin School) ran right to left across the top of the 18-yard box and fired off a left-footed shot to the opposite post.

Freshman Cecelia Dieterich (South Paris, Maine / Oxford) had two shots taken from 28 yards out sail just wide of the goal in the 35th and 37th minutes with the game still knotted at 0-0.

Botz made seven saves for the game including four in the first period.

The Tartans will next take on Grove City College on Wednesday, September 15 in Grove City, Pennsylvania at 7:00 p.m.