Garnet Enjoy Kushie Start, Win on Day Two of Alumni Classic
SWARTHMORE/USMMA BOX
WIDENER/DELAWARE VALLEY BOX
SWARTHMORE, Pa. -- Garnet junior Jeff Kushner (Norristown, Pa. / Methacton) headed home the eventual game-winner, giving the Swarthmore Garnet a 2-1 victory over the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Mariners on a sunny dry Sunday afternoon at the 10th annual Garnet Alumni Classic.
Widener (2-0) defeated Delaware Valley 6-0 later in the afternoon to wrap up the tournament.
The Mariners (0-2) were first on the board in the early game as midfielder Clint Foster (Mt. Pleasant, Tex. / Mt. Pleasant) finished off a feed from midfielder Chris Flanagan (Yaphank, N.Y. / St. Anthony's) at 12:03. A physical contest throughout (19 fouls aside, three cards), the Garnet evened the match when junior Evan Nesterak (Parker, Colo. / Ponderosa) climbed the ladder and headed home a cross from senior midfielder Pat Christmas (Chapel Hill, N.C. / East Chapel Hill) at 30:59.
Swarthmore received a free kick 15 yards outside the box at the start of the second half. Senior defender Brendan Grady (San Jose, Calif. / Bellarmine) bent the ball to the far post where Kushner leaped over a Mariner defender to put home his second career goal at 49:09. Garnet senior goalkeeper Ryan Sutcliffe (Milford, Del. / Milford) made the score stand up with four saves.
USMMA goalie Preston Stokes (Overland Park, Kas. / Blue Valley) posted four saves for the visitors.
A swift first goal for the Widener Pride found its way into the Aggies' (0-2) goal at 0:48 off the foot of sophomore Justin McCall (Brookhaven, Pa. / Sun Valley). The goal was assisted by senior Frank Nolan (Hatboro, Pa. / Archbishop Wood), who had sent a cross in from the right side of the box. McCall's second goal of the day was a rebound put-back after teammate Doug Gabel (Feasterville, Pa. / Neshaminy) hit the off the cross bar-Nolan picked up another assist.
Widener midfielder Bill James (Perkasie, Pa. / Pennridge) also racked up a total of three assists on the day, including a cross to Stu Johnson '09 (North Wales, Pa. / North Penn), who scored at the 29:35 mark. In the second half, Bill James scored off a rebounded hit that came from his brother, Brian James '11 (Perkasie, Pa. / Pennridge). The final goal of the day was a solid ball from Johnson who scored off a corner kick assisted by the James' brothers at 67:41.
10th Garnet Alumni Classic Results
Saturday, Sept. 1
Widener 1, USMMA 0 OT
Swarthmore 10, Delaware Valley 0
Sunday, Sept. 2
Swarthmore 2, USMMA 1
Widener 6, Delaware Valley 0
All-Tournament Team
Ryan Masterson, Delaware Valley
Ladule Lako Lo Sarah, Swarthmore
Andres Freire, Swarthmore
Patrick Christmas, Swarthmore
Jeff Kushner, Swarthmore
Clint Foster, USMMA
Joe Castro, USMMA
Chad Dye, Widener
Doug Gabel, Widener
Bill James, Widener
Marty Squicciarini, Widener