Box Score The Case Western Reserve University men's soccer team closed out its 2021 season on Sunday afternoon with a 2-1 loss at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Spartans fell behind early in the contest on a ninth minute goal by the Tartans' Jake Kavan, his first of the season. Carnegie Mellon extended its lead in the 53rd minute off the first goal of the campaign for Diederik Schlingemann.
Case Western Reserve made a late attempt at a comeback, as sophomore defender Josh Cook pulled the Spartans back within a goal in the 86th minute. After a free kick into the box was initially headed out by a Tartan defender, junior midfielder Matt Vatne was able to recover possession and find Cook on the opposite side of the net. Cook finished with a goal into the upper corner of the net to cut the Carnegie Mellon advantage to 2-1.
The goal was the second of the season for Cook, while Vatne picked up his fifth assist of the year on the play to finish the campaign with 11 points, second among all Spartan players in 2021.
While the Spartans pulled closer with the goal, they could not find the equalizer in the closing minutes, and the Tartans came away with the victory in each team's regular season finale.
The Tartans finished with a 12-11 edge in total shots, although the Spartans held a 10-4 edge in shots in the second half of the game. CWRU also finished with a 9-4 advantage in corner kicks, with all nine coming in the second half of the contest as CWRU began to increase pressure on the Carnegie Mellon defense.
The Spartans closed out their 2021 campaign with a 6-8-2 overall record, including a 1-5-1 mark in University Athletic Association games. Carnegie Mellon ended its season with a 7-6-3 overall ledger, while also registering a 1-5-1 mark in league play.
