#14 Tartan football records first loss of season at Grove City, 21-14

Men’s Football

The 14th-ranked Carnegie Mellon men’s football team traveled on Saturday, Sept. 23 to Grove City College for their fourth game of the season.

The first quarter saw both teams playing up and down the field, but no points were scored. The Tartans blocked a Wolverine field goal attempt and missed a 43-yard field goal of their own. However, Grove City was the first on the board during the second quarter after a one-yard quarterback sneak, giving the Wolverines the 7-0 lead. Though the Tartans were back in possession of the ball, a Wolverine interception allowed Grove City to score another touchdown before the end of the quarter, giving them a 14-0 lead going into halftime.

Coming back after the half, the Tartans tried to turn things around. Things weren’t looking great, though, as Grove City scored another touchdown off their opening drive, giving them a 21-point lead over the scoreless Tartans. Carnegie Mellon responded this time, taking 15 plays to find themselves in the endzone and make the score 21-7. The Tartans didn’t give up; with just over a minute left in play, senior Kaveh Wojtowich caught a seven-yard pass from senior Ben Mills, making it 21-14. But with so little time left in play, the Tartans weren’t able to complete a comeback, giving them their first loss of the season.

With this loss, the Tartans are now 3-1 on the season. For their next game on Saturday, Sept. 30, they will be traveling to Allegheny College for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Men’s Soccer

The Carnegie Mellon men’s soccer team started their week on Wednesday, Sept. 20, hosting Mount Aloysius College.

Twenty minutes into the game, Mount Aloysius was the first on the board, getting one past sophomore Liam Ryan. Play continued for the rest of the half but neither team scored. In the second half, senior Diederik Schlingemann scored the equalizer in the 63rd minute thanks to a corner kick from senior Josh Baugh. Though the Tartans outshot Mount Aloysius 15-6, the game ended in a 1-1 tie.

For their second game of the week, the men’s soccer team hosted Marietta College on Saturday, Sept. 23. The score opened in the 43rd minute when junior Jake Slackman was able to slip one past the Marietta goalie. After returning from the half, Schlingemann pushed another Tartan goal after a free kick from senior Alejandro Fernandez. Once again, a little over three minutes later in the 56th minute, sophomore Zach Schonwetter put in a third Tartan goal against the scoreless Pioneers. The scoreboard would read 3-0 for the rest of the game, giving the Tartans the win.

The men’s soccer team is now 6-1-1 on the season. They will take to the road for their next game to play Juniata College on Tuesday, Sept. 26 for a 7:30 p.m. game.

Women’s Soccer

The second-ranked Carnegie Mellon women’s soccer team took on Point Park at Highmark Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 23 for their eighth game of the season.

In the 16th minute of the game, junior Catherine MacNichol earned the first Tartan point of the game and was assisted by graduate student Kaitlyn Montague. The second Tartan goal of the game, just over one minute later, was credited to the Carnegie Mellon team, as it was an own goal by the Point Park defense. In their 2-0 victory, Carnegie Mellon had a total of 14 shots, with eight on goal, compared to Point Park’s two total shots, both on goal.

The Tartans' Sunday, Sept. 24 game will be covered in the next issue of the Tartan; the women’s soccer team will also be facing off against Marietta College at home on Wednesday, Sept. 27 with a 7:30 p.m. start.

Women’s Volleyball

The Carnegie Mellon women’s volleyball team started off their week with a home game against John Carroll University on Wednesday, Sept. 20. The Tartans took down John Carroll in straight sets, 25-10, 25-15, 25-17, respectively. Carnegie Mellon recorded a total of 50 digs and 10 aces to John Carroll’s 35 digs and three aces. Sophomores Bella Woodard and Elizabeth Schlemmer tied for most kills on the team, both with seven.

On Saturday, Sept. 23, the Tartans headed to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland for the first UAA Round Robin to open UAA play. For their first match of the day, they took on the University of Rochester, sweeping them 25-13, 25-17, 25-16. The Tartans recorded a total of 34 kills, with 14 of them happening in the first set. The team also recorded seven aces during the game.

Their second match of the game was against the University of Chicago, who put up a good fight. The Tartans were able to prevail over the Phoenixes in a total of four sets, 25-23, 25-19, 25-17, 25-22, respectively. The Tartans picked up a total of 76 digs, with many players recording double digits. Carnegie Mellon also earned 10 aces during the game compared to the University of Chicago’s two.

For their final game of the first UAA Round Robin, the Tartans faced ninth-ranked Emory University on Sunday, Sept. 24. The Tartans won the first set 25-22, fell in the second set 23-25, and won the third set 25-19. However, they weren't able to capitalize on their 2-1 lead, and Emory took the next two sets 25-19 and 15-10, respectively. The Tartans had 66 digs compared to Emory's 77, but had seven aces to Emory's four.

The Tartans will be back to non-UAA play on Friday, Oct. 6 when they host Muskingum for a 7 p.m. start. After that, they will be heading to the University of Chicago for the second UAA Round Robin, where they will be taking on Brandeis University.