PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Juniata men's soccer team fell to No. 8 Carnegie Mellon 5-2 on Wednesday evening after conceding a trio of goals in the first half and two goals in the first ten minutes of the second half before getting a pair back in the last ten minutes of play. 

Each team started play with a shot in the opening minutes, as Alvin Fuentes missed left in the third minute off a corner kick. 

The Tartans swiftly responded with their first goal of the evening in the seventh minute. Carnegie Mellon persisted at the Juniata defense in the moments following the first goal with a shot wide and a shot at keeper Devon Angermeier. The Eagles registered their first shot on target from Emmet Young in the 12th minute. 

Scoring chances slowed down for the next ten minutes, as the Tartans found the net twice in a three-minute span with a 23rd-minute left-footed finish past Angermeier in a one-on-one situation and a 26th-minute header from the six-yard box off a corner kick. Malvin Madzimbamuto registered the last Eagles shot of the half in the 33rd minute to send with Juniata trailing by three at the break.  

Carnegie Mellon struck quickly in the second half to wrap up their scoring tally with a pair of goals, including a mid-range shot in the 50th minute and a shot deflected off a defender from 18 yards out in the 55th minute.

Scoring chances for both sides slowed down until the final twenty minutes, as a resilient Eagles offense tallied seven shots that led to a pair of goals. Young put his second shot of the match on in the 70th minute, as he hit the crossbar. Daniel O'Rourke then forced a save from the Tartans' keeper on a shot heading for the top-right corner. 

Juniata finally broke through in the 83rd minute as Melie Odigwe found the goal for the first time in 2022. Odigwe's pressing found him able to capitalize on a poorly-weighted ball played back to the keeper, dispossess him, and fire into the empty net. Odigwe put another shot on target in the 86th minute that forced a team save to set up Joseph Cianfichi on the rebound for his third goal of the season.  

Braden Whisler forced a save in the 89th minute, and Harshaan Grewal missed wide in the same attack to conclude scoring chances in the match. 

The Eagles return to play Saturday, October 1, as they play in their second Landmark Conference match of the season away at Elizabethtown College.