2-0 Victory Sends Tartans to Sectional Semifinal for Sixth Time

(WESTMINSTER, Md.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's soccer program has advanced in the 2021 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship after topping seventh-ranked McDaniel College by a 2-0 score Sunday afternoon on the Green Terror's home field. The win moves the Tartans overall record to 13-5-1 while McDaniel ends its storybook season with an 18-2-1 record after giving up just five goals all season.

The Tartans broke the scoreless tie in the 24th minute when sophomore Cecelia Dieterich's (South Paris, Maine / Oxford) shot deflected off a Green Terror defender and past Katherine Carstensen in net for the 1-0 lead. The play got started with a throw in near the right corner flag. Junior Alex Adams (Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Allegheny) ended up with the ball inside the 18-yard box close to eight yards out. Adams was able to touch a pass to Dieterich on the right side of the goal and her hard strike aimed at the far corner hit off a defender for the score.

Freshman Alana Frederick (New York, N.Y. / Sacred Heart Greenwich) fired off a shot between the keeper and the right post in the 38th minute to give the Tartans a 2-0 advantage. The play started with sophomore defender Sarah Scoles (Naperville, Ill. / Naperville Central) pressuring the Green Terror to misplay a ball out of bounds on the right sideline in the Tartans defensive half. Scoles promptly put the thrown in to the foot of freshman Emma Shirzad (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. / The Benjamin School) who found sophomore Rachel Martini (Hoffman Estates, Ill. / Saint Edward Central Catholic) on the sideline.

Martini took a few touches forward into the Tartans offensive half and centered a pass forward to junior Helena Spencer (Warrenton, Va. / Patriot). Spencer combined her speed and technical skill to split two defenders and put a diagonal pass forward to Frederick who took a touch in open space and struck the right-footed shot at the near post past Carstensen for her seventh goal of the season.

McDaniel fired off seven shots in the first half but none were on frame.

Graduate student Carolyn Botz (St. Louis, Mo. / MICDS) made her first save of the afternoon in the 73rd minute when Hannah Schepers sent in a ball from long distance that Botz secured with ease. The Carnegie Mellon wins leader then made a save on a free kick attempt by the Green Terror in the 86th minute when she caught the shot that was sent straight at her. Botz now has a 4-1 career record in the NCAA tournament.

The Tartans advance to the sectional round for the sixth time in eight playoff appearances and will face MIT with the date, time and location to be determined.