Garnet Defeat Another Ranked Team
SWARTHMORE, Pa. -- The Swarthmore men's soccer used goals from captain Dylan Langley and freshman David Sterngold to upset 23rd-ranked Dickinson Saturday evening at wet Clothier Field.
The Garnet (6-2-1, 1-1 CC) knocks off a ranked opponent for the second time this season (Swarthmore won at then #5-Stevens Tech. two weeks ago).
After years of little success against Dickinson (losing each of the first eleven Centennial matchups), the Garnet have since turned the tables, failing to see defeat in the last six constest (4-0-2).
Clothier Field was one of the only dry spots of land on the East Coast Saturday, and a lucky break put the hometown side in front early. A deep serve, aimed at the top of the Devils’ box, met: a streaking Langley (Honolulu, Hawaii / Iolani School), a Dickinson defender and his teammate, goalie Rodrigo Barboza. The ball popped free from the collision and Langley, the only player still on his feet, struck the ball into the center of the net, at 13:56, for his second goal of the season.
Swarthmore netminder David D’Annunzio (Piedmont, Calif. / Piedmont) kept Dickinson off the board with pair of reactionary saves. The blonde freshman stopped a close shot by Matt Critchlow at 24:43 and bounced up in time to prevent John Freed from tucking the rebound inside the left post. D’Annunzio made three saves in that half as the Garnet took the 1-0 lead into the intermission.
A heavy air sat onto of Clothier Field when Sterngold (Muncy, Pa. / Muncy), making his first collegiate start, volleyed a loose ball into the left panel just over six minutes into the new half. Sterngold now has three goals in 2008, tops among Garnet first-years.
The Swarthmore defense posted its fourth shutout of the season (Conference-best 0.54 goals-against average), even needing D’Annunzio to save Swarthmore shots on its own net. Garnet captain Jeff Kushner (Norristown, Pa. / Methacton) seemed set for a simple header to clear the Garnet box. The ball tucked down and surprised Kushner; the resulting carom snapped a one-hopper right at D’Annunzio, set on keeping his line. The ball was safely tucked away, and so was D’Annunzio’s second shut-out of the season.
Swarthmore narrowly missed a third score late in the half. The recently-bleached coif of sophomore midfielder Tobias Resch (Pfungstadt, Germany / Ludwig-Georgs-Gymnasium) blazed on top of a daring one-touch from the left sideline. Resch expertly touched the ball into the net, setting off a celebration in the large Saturday night crowd. Lost in the noise, Resch had been whistled for a handball. Resch, not so lucky to repeat the Hand of God goal from the 1986 World Cup, angered the heavens and a torrent of rain doused Clothier Field for the final 15 minutes.
The Garnet snapped a two-game losing skid and pick up two points in the Centennial standings at the start of crucial stretch Conference slate (three of the next four matches are away from campus). Next on the schedule is a trip to Chestertown, Maryland for the unofficial Garnet Go To the Shore Day at Washington College. Men’s soccer faces the Shoremen at 5:30 p.m. while the Swarthmore volleyball team and women’s soccer also make appearances, starting their respective events at 8:00 p.m.
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