Langley Breaks Career, Single-Season Points Records as No. 8/9 Garnet Defeat Haverford 2-0 on Senior Day
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Now that is how to go out in style on Senior Day.
Senior Morgan Langley scored a pair of goals to break the program's single season and career points records, leading the No. 8/9 Swarthmore College men's soccer team to a 2-0 victory over arch-rival Haverford on Saturday evening in front a capacity crowd at Clothier Field Stadium.
Langley scored in the 43rd and 88th minute for the Garnet.
Now with 94 points for his career, Langley breaks the record set by James White '56 (92) for most points in a career, while his single-season total of 41 passes the mark set by McWelling Todman (40) during the 1974 season.
The other two members of the winningest senior class in program history weren't too far behind Langley's record-setting performance. Senior Philippe Celestin added the assist on Langley's second goal while senior captain Gage Newman anchored a Garnet defense that held the Fords to just three shots on goal.
With the victory, the Garnet completes an unbeaten Centennial Conference slate as well as its second-consecutive undefeated home campaign. The win is also the Garnet's seventh consecutive win over the Fords in one of the oldest rivalries in college soccer, and gives the departing seniors a perfect 4-0 record against their rivals.
With the Fords needing a win to advance to the Centennial Conference playoffs for the first time in program history and the Garnet sporting one of the most potent offenses in Division III soccer, the expectation was for a wide-open game with attacking from both sides. But for much of the first half, both offenses were held in check, with the Garnet registering two shots on goal compared to just one for Haverford.
But Swarthmore had the answer the 43rd minute, and it came in the form of Langley - just as it has all season. Off a perfect bending ball on a corner kick from sophomore Kieran Reichert, Langley rose above the crowd to head home his 13th goal of the season, bringing the massive Garnet crowd to its feet and giving Swat the 1-0 lead.
In the second half, Swarthmore upped the offensive attack - firing three shots on goal in the first 15 minutes following the half - but it was the Fords that almost found the equalizer in the 61st minute. In Haverford's best scoring opportunity of the game, the Fords' David Robinson blasted a hard liner off the hands goalkeeper David D'Annunzio. With the ball loose in the box, D'Annunzio leaped on to the ball, narrowly beating a streaking Ford player for possession.
The Garnet lead remained at 1-0 until the final minutes of play, when the Swarthmore counterattack finally made the pressing Fords pay. In the 88th minute, Celestin found Langley in front of the goal for his second score of the day and 14th of season, bringing the game to the 2-0 final and giving Langley the points records.
In goal for the Garnet, D'Annunzio made three saves to earn his seventh clean sheet of the season
Swarthmore finished the game with significant advantages in shots (20-5) and shots on goal (7-3).
The Garnet return to Clothier Field Stadium to host the Centennial Conference Championship on Saturday and Sunday. Times and opponents and have yet to be determined.