From Carnegie Mellon University Athletics
The 25th-ranked Carnegie Mellon University women's soccer team is going to the semifinals of the 2019 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship after winning a penalty kick shootout against 19th-ranked University of St. Thomas, 6-5, on Saturday, November 23 on the campus of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. The Tartans advance past the sectional final for the first time in school history and become the first women's team in Carnegie Mellon history to reach the semifinals of an NCAA tournament.
After playing 110 minutes to a scoreless draw a penalty shootout ensued with the best of five scenario sitting tied at 4-4 after St. Thomas missed their fifth shot wide to force sudden death. Sophomore Hannah Anderson (Burke, Va. / Lake Braddock Secondary) connected on her shot, as did the Tommies kicker to make it 5-5. Freshman Alex Adams (Pittsburgh, Pa./ North Allegheny) then calmly finished her shot to give the Tartans the lead again at 6-5. Junior Carolyn Botz (St. Louis, Mo. / MICDS), who was inserted for the penalty shootout and nearly made two saves on the earlier shots, made the save sending the Tartans celebrating and into the semifinals.
Junior Taylor Cammarata (Cary, N.C. / Green Hope) got off the first shot of the game with two minutes and 57 seconds gone by but Sarah Pasternak was able to stop it with a save for St. Thomas.
Senior Andrea Sipos (Bel Air, Md. / Bel Air) made two of her 11 saves in the 10th and 12th minutes. The Tartans took over offensively in the 19th minute with four shots, one of which was on goal by freshman Helena Spencer (Warrenton, Va. / Patriot) with another shot by Spencer blocked inside the box.
Sipos made another save for the Tartans two minutes later before senior Emery Noll (Matthews, N.C. / David W Butler) put a shot on goal in the 32nd minute.
The Tartans were under pressure in the final five minutes recording a team save and another save by Sipos with 2:35 to go in the half. A shot by sophomore Stephanie Ramsay (Lake Forest, Ill. / Loyola Academy) with 12 seconds left in the half just sailed high.
Sipos was credited with five saves in the second half but none of them were threatening opportunities while the Tartans put one shot on goal for the frame.
In the first overtime period, Adams had a shot blocked at the top of the box in the 98th minute while Sipos made a simple save in the second minute of the period.
St. Thomas had a good opportunity in the 104th minute but Alexa Oldenkamp's shot was lofted at Sipos for an easy grab.
A shot by senior Tara Durstewitz (Old Bridge, N.J. / Old Bridge) in the final seconds of the second overtime was high of the goal and ended extra time in a 0-0 draw.