Garnet Perfect to the End
SWARTHMORE, Pa. -- Sophomore attack Gavin Musynske tallied a hat trick and handed out three assists, while junior attack Stelios Wilson netted four goals and added an assist to lead Swarthmore to a 12-6 win over visiting Drew on Wednesday night. The win secured an undefeated non-conference record for the Garnet, who have gone a perfect 7-0 in games against non-Centennial opponents.
The undefeated non-conference record is the first for Swarthmore (8-6, 1-6 CC) in more than 25 years. The win also secures a 2008 season with a winning percentage over .500, the first since 2003. The 2003 squad went 8-7 overall and qualified for the ECAC Tournament.
Swarthmore came out firing, setting the tone early with six first quarter goals. Senior midfielder Ivano Ventresca (Macungie, Pa. / Emmaus) put the Garnet on the board first, driving home a pass from junior defenseman Jacob Metzger (New York, N.Y. / Cape Elizabeth (ME)), the first assist of his career, 3:27 into the contest.
Wilson (Morrestown, N.J. / Moorestown) came to play on Wednesday night, registering a hat trick in just the first 15 minutes of play. He scored an unassisted goal with 9:30 remaining in the quarter, and netted two goals off passes from fellow sophomore attackmen Tyler Bradshaw (Marietta, Ga. / Lassiter) and Musynske (Floral Park. N.Y. / Floral Park). Wilson also picked up two of his three ground balls in the period.
The Garnet also got goals from Bradshaw and sophomore midfielder Anthony Phalen (Needham, Mass. / Needham) in the first quarter to jump out to a 6-1 lead that they would never relinquish.
Swarthmore kept the pressure on in the second quarter, extending the lead to 8-1 after two quick goals by Musynske, one of which came off an assist from senior goaltender Frank Mazzucco (Redding, Conn. / Joel Barlow), the first of his storied career. Bradshaw and Wilson also scored in the second to give the Garnet a 10-3 halftime lead.
Scoring slowed in the second half, as the Garnet scored just one goal in both the third and fourth quarter. Musynske scored his third goal of the evening off a pass from junior midfielder Ben Young (Washington, D.C. / St. Alban’s) with 11:24 remaining in the third, and assisted on junior midfielder Todd Friedman’s (Miami, Fla. / Miami-Palmetto) man-up goal in the fourth.
Drew (6-7, 4-1 Landmark) was never able to mount a substantial comeback, thanks to the stellar defense of the Swarthmore back line, supported by Mazzucco, who turned away nine Ranger shots and also collected five ground balls. Senior defenseman Drew Bonessa (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shady Side Academy) also picked up five ground balls, as did junior midfielder Will Predun (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. / Cold Spring Harbor). Predun is currently ranked second in the Centennial Conference with 55 ground ball pickups this season.
Sophomore attack Jon Bucknam (Flemington, N.J. / Hunterdon Central) led Drew with three goals and two assists.
The Garnet will conclude the 2008 regular season against rival Haverford College on Saturday afternoon on Clothier Field. The game, which is slated for a 1:30 start, will also feature a pre-game ceremony to honor Swarthmore’s seven senior players.