Wolverines Claw Past Garnet
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Grove City converted all three of its shootout attempts, earning the right to advance to the semifinals of the ECAC South Region tournament - the squads had played to a 1-1 deadlock through 110 minutes.
Swarthmore is eliminated from the tournament and completes the 2006 season with a 12-5-2 record.
The Garnet, seeded first in the tournament bracket, got off to a fast start and found the back of the net just five minutes in. A thru-ball came across the box to midfielder Yoi Tibbets '09, who fired a shot back across the goal mouth. It appeared that the ball was going to go just wide, but Stu Leon '09 was in the right place at the right time and knocked the ball in with the bottom of his left foot.
Grove City, seeded eighth in the ECAC South Region, quickly recovered and soon the ball was spending significant periods of time in the Swarthmore half, though the Garnet defense held up well and the Wolverines were not able to attempt a shot until the 25th minute. Finally, Grove City midfielder Jonathan Breese hit the ball across the top of the box to Tyler Ferrier, who knuckled the ball past Garnet goalkeeper Ryan Sutcliffe into the net for his fourth score of the season.
The Wolverines nearly took the lead with around 30 minutes to play, but Sutcliffe came out and stopped Breese at close range. Sutcliffe stopped Breese again about 20 minutes later to maintain the deadlock.
With 11 minutes to play, Swarthmore narrowly missed on a pair of chances. First, Ladule Lako lo Sarah '09, who continued his late-season renaissance with another strong game, beat a pair of Wolverines off the dribble and, while keeping his body between a third defender and the ball, fired a shot that Grove City goaltender Michael Manahan was just able to tip over the net.
Then, off of the ensuing corner kick, freshman Dylan Langley hit a long-distance header to right in front of the goal mouth. A crowd of players went up, and Manahan once again found just enough height to tip it away.
Both teams had chances in the final few minutes of regulation but could not convert and the match headed to overtime.
The first overtime passed without a goal, though Swarthmore had a series of chances including three straight corner kicks midway through and another scrum in front of the net just before time expired. Overtime number two went by similarly, and the match proceeded to penalty kicks.
Manahan got the Wolverines off to a strong start in the shootout by stoning Garnet junior Michael Bonesteel. Bob McNees then converted his attempt to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Garnet sophomore Chris Szeto made it 1-1, but Ferrier made his shot to maintain the Grove City lead. Swarthmore's Pat Christmas '08 hit the post with his attempt, and after Brendan McCommas extended the GC lead to 3-1, Garnet junior J.P. Faunes shot wide and the Wolverines were the winners.
Grove City (11-6-2) will travel to the campus of Carnegie Mellon for a Saturday semifinal match against . Carnegie Mellon, victors over PSU-Altoona 3-0 in other quaterfinal action - as the highest remaining seed CMU will host the semifinal and final rounds Nov. 11-12.
The Garnet complete the season with 12 wins for the third year in a row and, after graduating only two seniors, will once again contend for the Centennial Conference championship in 2007.