Only an hour after the men celebrated a 1?0 win, the lights shone through the night on the heads of the Carnegie Mellon women?s soccer team at Gesling Stadium on Friday. The Tartan women got ready for the kickoff, preparing to play Brandeis in their third UAA game for the season. The 18th-ranked women took the field and came away with a 2?0 shutout on a brisk autumn night.
The Tartans used their excellent footwork and ball-handling skills to create space and connect passes. The two teams were very evenly matched, and in the first half, each had several shot attempts.
But the game was kept close by great goalkeeping on both ends. Towards the end of the first half the Tartans had a scoring opportunity, but Brandeis goal keeper Betsey Medow tapped Kristin Bevilacqua?s shot up over the crossbar for a save. The Tartans kept the offensive pressure up and continued to fire shots, making the Judges? defense work to keep the tie.
With 7:17 left in the first half, CMU first-year Abigail Coffin, who had just been inserted into the lineup, headed a corner kick from sophomore defender Amanda Rose into the right corner of the net. This scored the first goal of the game, in a position where Medow never had a chance to save it.
Coffin scored again with 4:03 left in the first half, as she dribbled into space and fired a shot off of her left foot from 20 yards out. Medow reached out to save it, but the ball just squeezed through her outstretched hand and the right post, putting more points on the board for the Tartans.
This was Coffin?s ninth goal for the season, and it brought the Tartans a 2?0 lead. At this point, it was evident that the Tartans were headed for another win.
As half time started, the Tartans remained motivated and tried to stay moving due to dropping temperatures. Fans, bundled up and huddled close, stayed to cheer the team despite the cold.
At the whistle, the second half began. The Tartan women tightened their defense but still found considerable scoring opportunities. The Tartans had eight shots on goal for the second period and overall outshot the Judges 20?8. In the meantime, the Tartans held together and discouraged the Judges? offense defensively.
First-year goalie Christie Adams recorded three saves in the second half for the Tartan?s tenth shutout for the season. However, Adams displayed the skills she has shown all year, making difficult saves look easy. Despite suffering a broken wrist and needing surgery earlier in the year, she has been in full form for each game since then.
With the win, the Tartans improve to 9?0?2 for the season, and hope to improve their national ranking. They currently sit behind divional foes Rochester and Chicago on the Division III NSCAA/Adidas National Rankings, but look to move up from their spot at number 18. Their matchup with Rochester comes on October 30 in Rochester.