BALTIMORE--Tess Beckwith scored with less than 20 seconds left to lift Eastern University Women's Soccer to a 1-0 season-opening win over the Carnegie Mellon Tartans at the Johns Hopkins Invitational. Alysia Goodman finished with four second-half saves to secure the shutout.

The game moved without much rhythm through the opening moments as the two teams sought to find space in the congested middle of Homewood Field. The Tartans had the first great chance of the day when a spinning ball slipped behind the Eastern back line near the right edge of the box. Savina Reid's shot from a tight angle hit the outside of the post from a tight angle and ricocheted to the middle of the box. A follow up shot went high.

As the half progressed, the Eagles gathered more possession. That possession resulted in a great chance in the 37th minute as Kristine Zeiset threaded a pass into Kelsey Doutrich's feet at the top of the box. Doutrich played a deft flick into space for Beckwith whose shot slipped just wide of the post, and the first half ended without any markers on the board.

Head Coach Dan Mouw was guardedly optimistic about the Eagles' first half.

"There were positive steps as the half progressed," he said,"I thought Ashley [Graybill] was very influential in helping us find our way forward with possession, and we started, by the end of the half to see the space on the field and use it."

The Eagles seized control of the game in the early portion of the second half. In the 50th minute, Beckwith earned  free kick on the edge of the box that Graybill hit off the woodwork. The Eagles continued to control more of the ball, but the Tartans grabbed several opportunities on restarts and in transition. Goodman made wo stellar saves right near the hour mark of the contest. The firs came on a dive to her left on a shot from 20 yards out, and the second was a brilliant reaction save ona  header in tight from Brianna Magill.

Those saves, seemed to breathe life into the rest of the Eastern team.

"Alysia has the ability to lift our whole team," Mouw said. "When she makes a big play, our countenance lifts. We begin to believe."

The Eagles dodged one more bullet when Goodman stopped a mini-breakaway from Magill a few minutes later.

Though the Eagles pressed the goal, the game seemed destined for overtime. A final push into the Carnegie Mellon end resulted in a throw in 35 yards from the end line. Carly Inch took the ball out of the air and rolled it wide to Beckwith. Beckwith cracked he ball toward goal from just inside the touch line.

Beckwith's blast curled into the upper corner for the latest regulation game-winner in program history.

"I don't think we can say for certain whether it was a shot or a cross," Mouw concluded, "but it was absolutely the right instinct, that late in the game, to get it at goal."

The Eagles return to action at Hopkins tomorrow with a noon game against RPI.

Box Score