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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Jaden Wright header vs. CMU
Peter Wangechi
0
Carnegie Mellon CMU (1-1-1, 0-0-0)
1
Winner John Carroll JCU (2-1-0, 0-0-0)
Carnegie Mellon CMU
(1-1-1, 0-0-0)
0
Final
1
John Carroll JCU
(2-1-0, 0-0-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Carnegie Mellon CMU 0 0 0
John Carroll JCU 0 1 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Joe Ginley '16, SID

Dramatic Late Goal Lifts Men's Soccer Past Carnegie Mellon

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS – The rivalry between the Division III soccer powerhouses from Pittsburgh and Cleveland wrote a great new chapter tonight.

The Tartans and Blue Streaks played quite the match, looking like it would be a draw until the waning minutes. All it took was some magic from Jaden Wright.

The senior fired home a gorgeous goal in the 87th minute, and John Carroll Men's Soccer claimed the first victory over Carnegie Mellon in University Heights in 14,593 days (September 22, 1984 to be exact). 

"It felt awesome, it was great to be able to contribute to help the team win," said Wright. "We were battling hard in a tough first half, then we bounced back in the second half. It felt good to score a goal and get the win."

In the early goings, the Blue Streaks looked to have an upperhand, threatening with some corner kicks. Jack Foht tested Carnegie Mellon in the 7th and 8th minutes with some shots, but nothing got through to the goal. 

The Tartans slowly built momentum and created a massive scare for JCU in the 16th minute. A Tartans charge forward looked like it might be offsides, but was not, and CMU had a golden chance. Thankfully for JCU, the shot sailed high. 

A few minutes later, a promising shot forced Brenden Moher to make a save. The Tartans sent in a deep shot that was blocked, then a rebound shot forced Moher to move a bit to his left to make the stop. The hosts responded with a transition opportunity that was thwarted but led to a corner kick. Cade Gergye fired a shot in the 23rd minute that hit the crossbar of the goalposts. 

As the half continued, the Blue Streaks pressed well, never allowing the Tartans much space to enjoy possession. In the 39th minute, that tactic nearly bore fruit, as the Blue Streaks nearly broke through. Dylan Halm had a fantastic shot from in close, but his shot went just a bit high after a teammate headed it down towards him in the middle. 

Heading into the half, the teams stood deadlocked, both in the score and in shots. Though CMU did have a 2-0 advantage in shots on goal.

In the 51st minute, an unfortunate collision forced JCU's goalkeeper, Brenden Moher, from the game. Dominic Grobler checked into the game in relief and did a reliable job filling in for the St. Edward graduate. Grobler – a South Africa native who last played at Notre Dame College – later made solid saves in the 73rd and 77th minutes. 

"It feels amazing. I want to say first of all it is never a pleasant feeling getting my first field time with another goalkeeper going injured, but above all else, it is such an honor to finally represent JCU and the Blue and Gold," said Grobler. "This is an amazing school and program. This is my third school and my senior year, and there is no other program that runs the ship like this from the top all the way down to the bottom. It is unreal how professional, dedicated, and personal everyone is."

In the 61st minute, Guilherme Wanderley had a nice chance, but the Blue Streaks continued to be just a step away from brilliance. 

For only a moment in the 65th minute, an unknowing eye might have thought the game was no longer deadlocked. A JCU throw-in found its way into the net, but since no one touched the ball, of course it was not a goal.

At several moments, the Blue Streaks looked to be building. Despite a couple of jump scares, the hosts couldn't seem to place the perfect ball on target, though Blue Streaks such as Halm, Nick Mikulec, and others. 

At long last late in the contest, the Blue Streaks broke through. Logan Penton flicked in a pass towards the middle to Nicholas Graeca, who tapped it to Jaden Wright. The Lorain native left-footed a gorgeous shot to the top right corner and set off a mad dash to the JCU bench.

The icing on the cake for Wright? It's the first goal he's scored at Shula Stadium.

The defense also deserves ample credit for putting together a team effort in attaining a clean sheet. The Blue Streaks have only allowed one goal in three games thus far. 

"We had the date on the board. It was circled in the locker room. We found out that we have not beat this team in 40 years on this field," noted Grobler. "Setting a new standard and putting a new date on the board and we know we can beat teams. I think it is an unreal feeling to go back with this momentum."

Following the dramatic victory, the Blue Streaks will have a quick turnaround. John Carroll will head to the College of Wooster on Saturday in a 1 pm matinee. 

"To be able to get this win [heading into Wooster] is massive," Wright said. "We'll try to do the same thing again and carry that winning mentality into Saturday."
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