#11 Tartans Open Season with 6-2 Win Against Shenandoah

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's soccer team opened the 2018 season with a 6-2 victory against Shenandoah University on the first day of the Carnegie Mellon DoubleTree Tartan Cup. Five different players scored for the Tartans with junior Sydney Webber (Nashville, Tenn. / Harpeth Hall) recording the game winner in head coach Yon Struble's 100th career victory.

Senior defender Katja Brackelmanns-Puig (Randolph, N.J. / Randolph) started the scoring in the early seconds of the fourth minute when she fired in a shot off her own rebound following a corner kick by Webber.

A minute and 15 seconds later, Shenandoah equalized when Jocelyn Granados put a through ball passed the Tartan defense for Emily Yergin who took one touch before finishing past sophomore keeper Carolyn Botz (St. Louis, Mo. / MICDS).

Freshman Maddy Lui (Basking Ridge, N.J. / Ridge) put in a lazer from just outside the 18-yard box in the 15th minute after junior Ryan Casey (Marina del Rey, Calif. / Polytechnic) passed a ball across the box. Webber put in what would go down as the game winner in the 23rd minute when her corner kick swung in and through the hands of the Shenandoah keeper.

The Tartans added to the scoreline in the 51st minute when senior Kaily Bruch (Glenview, Ill. / Glenbrook South) finished a one-on-one. Casey played a pass through the defense that Bruch ran onto and dribbled forward alluding the keeper with the shot.

The next goal for the Tartans came in the 75th minute after sophomore Taylor Cammarata (Cary, N.C. / Green Hope) saved a ball off the endline and put in front of the net for freshman Julianne Tippett (Torrance, Calif. / South). The goal was recorded as an own goal as a Shenandoah defender miscleared it following pressure from Tippett. Cammarata would put in a goal of her own 10 minutes later when she finished a cross by freshman Stephanie Ramsay (Lake Forest, Ill. / Loyola Academy).

The final goal of the game was scored by Shenandoah's Maiya Pencile in the 88th minute after she converted a penalty kick.

The Tartans will return to the pitch on Saturday, September 1 at 3:30 p.m. when they host Washington and Lee University in the final match of the Carnegie Mellon DoubleTree Tartan Cup.

Quoting Ryan Casey
On first game of the season and how she felt about the team's performance tonight:
"It felt really good, I think a lot of the freshmen came out and played really well. We have a lot of really influential young players on the field which is really exciting, not just for the rest of the season but for the next few years. It was a good win and we have a lot of positives to take away and some things to work on."

On how she felt about her performance:
"I think I did okay creating chances, definitely need to work on finishing. I should have finished some more, a lot more, of my chances."

On what she's looking forward to this season:
"I am definitely looking forward to just being back out there after coming off an injury. We have an exciting young team, and I'm really excited to see what we can do moving forward and in the league."

Quoting Katja Brackelmanns-Puig
On first game of the season and how she felt about the team's performance tonight:
"I felt that we really executed the attacking system that we've been practicing this week and all of preseason. I think that the only thing we need to work out is preventing short-term breakdowns that can allow for goals to be scored, like they did tonight. But I think working on staying more composed, playing the ball to feet, and keeping everything simple will definitely move us forward."

On what she's looking forward to this season:
"We definitely have our eye on constantly improving and growing from our mistakes, and staying cohesive as a team and playing for each other. I'm hoping that that will take us to our optimum performance, NCAAs, and a National Championship."