PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – Rochester secured its first conference win of the men's soccer season with a 1-0 victory over Carnegie Mellon University at Edwin Fauver Stadium late on Friday evening.
 
"Late" is the key phrase. The kickoff was delayed for nearly three hours due to a series of lightning strikes in the area. NCAA protocol demands a 30-minute delay whenever lightning is seen nearby. If a second strike is noticed during that countdown, the countdown reverts to 30 minutes again. This was supposed to be played at 7:30 pm but would have run later. The women's game between the same two teams went double-overtime (110:00 in all) ending in a 0-0 tie.
 
Rochester improved to 6-2-3 with the win. The Yellowjackets are 1-2 in the University Athletic Association. Carnegie Mellon is 6-3-3 overall, 0-2-1 in the UAA. On Sunday, Rochester will host Case Western Reserve at 1:30 pm. Carnegie Mellon plays at Emory University on Sunday. Case tied at Emory, 2-2, on Friday.
 
The goal was scored 11 minutes into the second half. Rochester rushed down the right sideline on a counter and Tommy Nelson was tripped up. The referee tried to play the advantage rule but when Carnegie took possession of the ball, he awarded the free kick. Nelson drove it from the right sideline just to the left of the center of the box. Will Eisold leaped in a back of black-shirted defenders and headed the ball into the upper left hand corner of the net.
 
UR goalie Santino Lupica-Tondo made six saves to earn his fifth shutout this season. CMU's Ethan Kalis made two saves.
 
Play went in waves. In the opening 10 minutes, Rochester was making the best of its possessions, trying to find room for Colin Canning. The ball was scrambled away from him on a corner in the fourth minute. Sixty seconds later, he fired for the top right corner from 20 yards, but it just missed. Nelson's free kick into the box found Canning who tried to tip it home. Kalis saved it for a Rochester corner which Canning headed over the crossbar.
 
The visitors made good use of their quickness in building attacks. In addition to his six saves, Lupica-Tondo had to scramble off the line to cut out crosses and dive on lead passes before shots could be unleashed. It was clearly an active 90 minutes for him. With 15 minutes left in the first half, CMU's Josh Baugh ran from the left side to the right, pivoted, and shot for the low left corner. Lupica-Tondo read it correctly and dove at the left post to keep the ball out of the net.

CMU's Jason Edmunds cleared a shot by UR's Tony Hypsher from a tough angle on the right with five minutes left in the first half. With a minute to go, he played a diagonal ball to Billy Boucuvalas for a header that was saved by Lupica-Tondo.
 
UR  had several chances in the second half that were defended well by the Tartans. The Yellowjackets pushed hard for a second goal. Jayson Ho drove a shot just past the left post off a corner kick in a packed goalmouth and less than five minutes left.
 
Lupica-Tondo made two good saves in the last 70 seconds. CMU earned a free kick along the right sideline. Luke Marolda hammered it towards the back post. The Rochester goalie caught it, then fell to the turf after colliding with attackers going for the ball. He was up quickly. The last chance for the guests was taken by Kiran Sarvepalli. His lob from the top of the penalty area was caught by Lupica-Tondo just under the crossbar with the clock showing 20 seconds remaining.