Garnet Go Distance to Catch Marlins
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - The Garnet (1-0) opened the 2006 season with a marathon victory over the the visiting Virginia Wesleyan Marlins, the pre-season number one team in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Swarthmore and Virginia Wesleyan played through two overtimes to a 1-1 score and then squared off in penalty strokes, with the Garnet prevailing 3-2.
The Marlins (0-1) took the early lead, getting a goal from Megan May at 29:55. May took a offering from Molley Marchwiki 15 yards out and put the ball on net. Garnet goalie Karen Lorang '07 let the ball past her into the cage, seemingly thinking May was outside the allowable scoring distance. The officials allowed the goal to stand and VWC took the 1-0 advantage into halftime.
The Marlins held a 7-2 shot advantage in the first 35 minutes and took seven penalty corners while the Garnet attempted none.
Swarthmore entered the second half with a surge, evening the score when forward Abigail Fischer '08 deflected home a blast by midfielder and senior captain Summer Spicer just under three minutes in. The goal came off a penalty corner, with Spicer receiving the ball at the top of the circle and uncorking one of her trademark rockets that Fischer deftly re-directed past Marlins goalie Kate Shelly at 37:58.
The two teams remained knotted at the end of regulation and the battle of wills last through two 15-minute sudden death overtime periods (overtime periods are played with only six field players and one goalie from each team).
With only an hour and a half until Labor Day 2006, the Garnet and the Marlins began a series of penalty strokes on the south end of Clothier Stadium. Virginia Wesleyan coverted their first attempt while Swarthmore came up empty. Lorang stopped three of the next Marlin attempts and Ashley Gunter '09, Fischer, and senior captain Julie Monaghan converted three consecutive penalty strokes to end the contest in Swarthmore's favor.
Lorang, also a Garnet captain, and Shelly each collected eight saves on the evening as the Marlins out-shot Swarthmore 19-14.
Swarthmore returns to Clothier Field on Thursday, Sept. 7, facing off with neighbor Widener University at 5:00 p.m.