No. 13 Garnet Blank Wesley 3-0
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - In its first home contest of the season, the No. 13 Swarthmore men’s soccer team certainly gave the raucous crowd at Clothier Field Stadium something to cheer about.
Junior Morgan Langley recorded a goal and assist while sophomores Gage Newman and Fabian Castro each added first half goals as the Garnet topped Wesley College 3-0 in Swarthmore’s first game of 12th Annual Garnet Alumni Classic.
The victory extends the Garnet’s unbeaten streak in the Garnet Alumni Classic to 12 games, dating back to 2003.
The keys to the game for the Garnet were near-perfect offensive execution and stingy defense that limited Wesley to hardly any scoring opportunities. In fact, the Garnet offense and defense were nearly as efficient as possible, as the offense scored three goals on three shots on goal for the game while the defense did not allow a shot on goal.
The defending Centennial Conference champions put on an offensive display in the first half, wasting no time getting on board thanks to a perfectly executed corner kick. In the 11th minute, sophomore Roberto Contreras IV’s corner cross sailed into the center of the box, where Newman leaped over a crowd of defenders and headed the ball into the back of the net, giving Swarthmore a 1-0 lead.
In the 29th minute, David Sterngold forwarded a through pass from the midfield to Morgan Langley, who then beat two defenders to his left and crossed the ball into the corner of the goal, giving the Garnet the 2-0 lead.
The scoring wasn’t over yet. Less than a minute later, Morgan Langley found Castro in the center of the box, who chipped the ball over the goalie, extending the lead to 3-0.
In the second half, it was the Garnet defense that was on display, controlling the pace of a physical contest and keeping the Wolverines out of the net. Wesley’s best chance to score came in the 69th minute, but Newman blocked a point-blank Wesley scoring opportunity from inside the box, preserving the shutout.
In goal for the Garnet, sophomore David D’Annunzio faced no shots on goal in 82 minutes of play until being relieved by freshman Jake Tracy in the 82nd minute.
Swarthmore returns to action tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. against Catholic in the final game of the Garnet Alumni Classic.
Notes: The Garnet move to 14-8-1 all-time at the Garnet Alumni Classic.