Men’s soccer continues five-game winning streak
The Carnegie Mellon men’s soccer team hit the road this week adding two away victories to their 6–0–1 winning record. The Tartans came away with a 1–0 win against regional opponent Penn State Altoona Wednesday and a 4–0 decision over Westminster College Saturday.
The team started strong, outshooting Altoona 13–4 in the first half, but was unable to find the back of the net before the end of the half, leaving both sides scoreless. In the first 10 minutes of the second half, junior midfielder Keith Haselhoff slotted a ball through to junior forward Ricky Griffin, leaving Griffin just outside the 6-yard box with an open shot on net. Griffin slipped the ball past Altoona goalkeeper Chris Boela for what turned out to be the game-winning goal. Despite the Tartans dominating in shots taken during the first half, Carnegie Mellon and Altoona remained even through the second, taking four and three shots, respectively.
Carnegie Mellon senior goalkeeper Matt Bazin recorded three saves for the game.
The Tartans took to the road again to face Westminister Saturday. It did not take long for the Carnegie Mellon offense to start putting numbers on the board. At the 19-minute mark, junior Patrick Lutz finished what would be his first of two goals off an assist from Haselhoff.
Sophomore Adam Bogus and first-year Michael Moore came off the bench to enter the game, teaming up to put the Tartans on the scoreboard for the second time with two minutes remaining in the first half. Bogus finished a shot into the back of the net with an assist from Moore.
The men came out strong in the second half scoring for the third time in the first 10 minutes of play. Lutz recorded his second goal of the match after receiving a pass from junior midfielder Jon Simon. Less than five minutes later, Simon was fouled at the top of the box, giving the Tartans a free kick within scoring range. Junior Ryan Browne took the shot to score his second goal of the year.
Bazin again started for the Tartans in the net and recorded three saves on the game.
The junior class has been the strength of the Tartan offense so far, leading the team in both goals and assists. Griffin leads the Tartans with seven goals and Lutz doubled his season total to four this weekend with his two goals in Saturday’s game. Simon leads the team in assists (five) and is followed closely by classmates Haselhoff and Browne, who closely trail Simon in assists and also make the top scorers list with two goals apiece.
The number of talented upperclassmen has been key to the Carnegie Mellon early season success but how is their leadership and experience affecting those players in the classes below? When asked how the first-year and sophomore players fit into this junior-dominated equation, Lutz said, “Generally, the juniors are the strength of the team. We’ve been around and we know what to expect from the other teams.
“The freshmen are learning about our opponents and it’s great to have so many talented new players able to get in the game.”
He went on to say, “[The younger players] are strong enough subs this year, which is nice. It makes us all fresh for every game.” No doubt having a bench full of players able to keep up with the starting lineup will be a great advantage for the Tartans as they continue the season.
The men will play their next game tomorow at Grove City College and will challenge St. Vincent College at home Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Gesling Stadium.