No. 18 Tartans Close Non-Conference Schedule with 1-1 Tie

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - The No. 18 Carnegie Mellon University men's soccer team finished its non-conference schedule with a 1-1 tie against visiting Grove City College on Saturday, September 28. The game had its share of excitement as the Wolverines stopped eight Tartan shots with the hosts stopping five from the visitors. The Tartans are now 7-1-1 on the year while the Wolverines are 3-4-2.

The Tartans had three shots in the first six minutes of the game as seniors Max Tassano (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./Lower Merion) and Chris Wysocki (Newtown, Pa./Germantown Academy) each had shots saved with freshman Tristan Lockwood (Victor, N.Y./Victor) pushing a shot just wide of the frame.

In the 22nd minute, Tassano put the Tartans up 1-0 when he lasered a shot at the goal that Brenden Alfery couldn't control as he hit it up and it landed behind him and bounced to the corner of the net. The opportunity started when senior Matt Sarett (Huntersville, N.C./Cannon) won a ball in the midfield and touched it to Tassano at the center of the 18-yard box after a touch forward.

Just after the second half whistle, Grove City equalized with a header by Seth Loew off a deep service by Frank Hueber.

The second half was full of action as Alfery twice punched shots over the crossbar on shots by Lockwood and Wysocki. Lockwood's shot came from the right and was placed to the left upper 90 in the 75th minute while Wysocki's attempt came off his head in the 38 seconds to play.

Sandwiched between Alfery's saves was two team saves by the Tartans as junior defender Brandon Peck (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic) made both kick saves while lying on the ground in the 85th minute.

The Tartans controlled the first overtime period with four shots, all of which nearly hit the post on the way outside the frame. Alfery came up big again in the 97th minute when he stopped a penalty kick by senior Ben Bryant (Toledo, Ohio/Ottawa Hills) by diving to his left.

A bicycle attempt by David Wurmlinger with four minutes to play was saved by senior keeper Christopher Madden (Reisterstown, Md./Calvert Hall) while two shot attempts by Hueber were just wide of the post.

The Tartans pushed forward in the final minute but Wysocki's left-footed shot was stopped by Alfery leading the the final 1-1 score.

Carnegie Mellon will enter University Athletic Association play on Saturday, October 5 when it hosts the University of Chicago at 11:00 a.m.