Garnet Overwhelm Gators 11-0
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Garnet midfielders Natalie Stone '09 (pictured) and Ashley Gunter '09 scored three goals apiece as Swarthmore rolled to an 11-0 victory over the College of Notre Dame in non-conference field hockey action at Clothier Field on Saturday afternoon.
The 11 goals is the most by a Swarthmore field hockey team since an 11-0 victory Elms in the first round of the 1998 Seven Sisters Championship at Wellesley College. It is the most goals scored at home since a 13-1 defeat of Bryn Mawr in 1994.
A familiar combination put Swarthmore up 1-0 in the early going. Senior midfielder Lindsay Roth crossed a pass through the goal mouth and junior forward Abigail Fischer one-timed the ball into the cage for her team-leading fourth goal of the young season.
Gunter put in back to back scores, the latter coming on a deflection from an outside blast by senior captain Summer Spicer.at 6:16. Roth put in her first goal of the season at 10:18, followed 37 seconds later by Gunter's third goal (from Fischer). The three scores establish a new career-high for Gunter.
Swarthmore took a 5-0 lead into halftime, and following the intermission, became very liberal with substitutions; every position player on the roster saw considerable playing time.
The Garnet continued to pour in goals in the second half, getting scores from senior midfielder Julia Morrison, freshman forward Abbe Muller, freshman forward Hoa Pham, and three from Stone. Muller and Pham both got their first collegiate scores while Stone converted her first career hat-trick. Freshman defender Joslyn Young also collected two assists on the day, the first points of her college career.
Swarthmore senior goalie Karen Lorang did not face a shot in the first half and replacement Gina Grubb, a freshman, made her first save in the final 35 minutes of action.
Swarthmore enjoyed a 37-1 shot advantage, taking 12 corners to none for the Gators.
Swarthmore will host the annual Seven Sisters Field Hockey Championships this coming weekend, Sept. 16-17. The Garnet will compete against Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Haverford, Wellesley, Wheaton (Ma.), and Vassar in a two-day tournament for the championship trophy. The first games start at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16.