Sports Briefs

Football

The Carnegie Mellon football team traveled to Thomas More College on Saturday and fell to the 18th-ranked home team, 20–16. Thomas More scored 13 points in the first quarter, and the scoring went unanswered by the Tartans until a field goal in the second quarter. Thomas More scored another touchdown in the third, and the Tartans tried to come back but could only manage two field goals in the final quarter of the game. Tartan quarterback sophomore Alex Cline had 242 passing yards on the day along with one touchdown, but he threw four interceptions that proved very problematic. Star running back junior Sam Benger could not produce his normal level of success and finished the game with only 55 rushing yards. Juniors John Prather and Tommy Mansfield led the receiving core for the Tartans with 71 and 73 yards, respectively.

Defensively, the Tartans showed promise but could not stifle the Thomas More offense well enough to get the win. Senior Aaryn Watson and junior Kyle Brittain stepped up in the secondary and both had an interception. In the trenches, seniors Ben Winebrake and Jack Fagan each recorded a sack. Senior Samer Abdelmoty and junior Stanley Bikulege each had a career-best 12 tackles on the day.
This loss puts the Tartans at 1–2 for the season, but they will look to get their second win next week when they play on home turf as they take on Bethany College. The game will take place on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 6 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

The Carnegie Mellon men’s soccer team traveled to Grove City College on Friday and suffered their first loss of the season, 2–1. The Tartans scored first in the 21st minute with a goal from sophomore Anthony Gulli for his second of the season. Grove City tied the match at 1–1 in the 39th minute. The Tartans kept putting shots on goal in the second half, but the Wolverine defense proved to be too much. The Tartans gave Grove City the lead in the 85th minute with an own goal and the game ended soon after with the Tartans falling for the first time this season.
The Tartans will take the field again on Saturday, Oct. 1 at home against Brandeis University as they try to get back to their winning ways. The game is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m.

Women’s Tennis

The Carnegie Mellon women’s tennis team began the United States Tennis Association-Intercollegiate Tennis Association (USTA-ITA) Regional Championships on Saturday. Four Tartans advanced to the round of 16, and one doubles pair moved on to quarterfinals. Senior Nicholle Torres moved on in singles play after winning both matches, along with junior teammates Cori Siddell and Katie Lai who also swept their matches on the day. Sophomore Jamie Vizelman also advanced in singles play for the Tartans, and the pair of Torres and Siddel advanced in doubles. The tournament runs through Monday, September 26.