Athletics News

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The 2006 - 2007 Swarthmore College women's basketball team heads back to the court combining a formidable offense with a stingy defense in hopes of returning to the competitive Centennial Conference Championships.

The Garnet graduated a quartet of top-notch players last year, including Debbie Farrelly '06, Jennifer Stevenson '06, Cara Tigue '06, and Radiance Walters '06.  Stevenson, now on the coaching staff in her first year as an assistant, was named All-Centennial Honorable Mention at the end of the 2005-06 season, a selection voted on by the conference's head coaches.  Stevenson had the best three-point attempt average in the conference at 40.6% (26-of-64), and landed in the Swarthmore record books for success in her four-year career, achieving a fourth-place spot for 63 made three-pointers, and eighth for 189 career assists. 

Returning to lead Swarthmore after an outstanding sophomore campaign is forward Karen Berk '08 (Havertown, PA).  Berk finished second in the Centennial in scoring (17.8 ppg) and rebounding (10.2 rpg), third in field goal percentage (50.0%), sixth in blocks (1.16 bpg), and 12th in steals (1.80 spg). Her 10.2 rebounds per game ranked 41st in all of Division III.  Berk made third team on the D3hoops.com All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team, and was a first-team selection for the All-Centennial Conference, the eighth woman in Swarthmore history to earn the distinction.

Berk was named Centennial Conference Player of the Week and E.C.A.C. Player of the Week after averaging 24.7 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 3.0 steals per game in three games during the week of February 18. In the final game of the season, Berk scored a career-high 33 points in a 68-58 season-finale victory over Haverford on Feb. 18.  She shot 10-of-19 from the field and made a career-best 13-of-17 from the charity stripe, all while grabbing 10 boards for her 13th double-double of the season.

Joining Berk in the front court will be senior Jessica Fuhr (Simsbury, CT) and junior Kristen Traband (Swarthmore, PA).  Fuhr has loads of playing experience, seeing action in 75 career games (including all 25 last season) and ranks in the top-ten all-time at Swarthmore with 37 career three-pointers.  Traband will see an increase in playing time in 2006-07, bringing valuable leadership (she is a captain on the Garnet women's soccer team) and tenacious play on defense. 

A pair of guards returns this year to lead the Garnet backcourt, consisting of junior Laura Popovics (Gorham, ME) and Melissa Grigsby (West Chester, PA).  Popovics, who is spending the fall semester abroad in Prague, has seen action in 52 games in two seasons and lists in the top-ten in the Swarthmore annals with 54 three-pointers.  The junior point guard made six starts last season and finished tied for second on the team with 26 triples.   Grigsby agreed to do anything asked of her during 2005-06, appearing in all 25 games as a freshman while playing four different positions.  Grigsby averaged 6.0 points per game, shot 75 % (36-48) at the charity stripe, and tied for second on the team with 27 steals.

The incoming freshman squad and newcomers hope to become fresh contributors to this year's team, following in the footsteps of a strong upper class.  The first-years include forwards senior Sam Graffeo (Farmingdale, NJ) and freshman Pam Costello (Havertown, PA) as well as freshman guards Amber Wantman (Stoneham, MA) and Lisa Schumacher (Middlebury, CT).

Head coach Renee DeVarney, a University of Vermont graduate, comes back for a second season at the helm of the Garnet women.  DeVarney's previous engagements in Iowa, Duquesne, West Virginia, and William and Mary provide her with the worlds of experience as she leads Swarthmore into the 2006-07 season. 

Fans can look forward to another demanding schedule for the Garnet this year, starting on November 18-19 when the Garnet hosts the annual Swarthmore Tip Off Tournament, featuring Eastern (PA), Washington & Lee (VA), and CCNY.  The first weekend of December, Swarthmore will head over to Haverford for the Seven Sisters Tournament, and later face off with Centennial Conference standouts Muhlenberg, Johns Hopkins, Dickinson, and McDaniel.  The annual Swarthmore-Haverford rivalry resumes in Tarble Pavilion on January 17 at 6:00 p.m.

CENTENNIAL CHAMPIONSHIP SITE (Women) 
CENTENNIAL CHAMPIONSHIP SITE (Men)

SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Swarthmore College will have both its soccer teams participating in the Centennial Conference Soccer Championship Tournament this coming weekend at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md.

Fans unable to attend - All of the Centennial Championship soccer matches can be followed using the GameTracker application provided by Johns Hopkins University.  See the links below.

The Garnet women's soccer team (13-3-1 overall, 7-3 CC) is making its first-ever appearance in the CC Championships after the best regular season in school history.  The Swarthmore women broke school records for wins in a season and Centennial wins in head coach Todd Anckaitis' second season.  Swarthmore earned the third seed in the CC Championships and will face second-seed Gettysburg (12-5-1 overall, 8-2 CC) on Friday, November 3 at 7:30 p.m. on Homewood Field, located on the campus of Johns Hopkins.  The Bullets handed Swarthmore its first loss of the season, withstanding a furious Garnet rally to win this season's match 3-2 in Gettysburg, Pa. (the Bullets hold a 16-2-1 series edge since 1988).  Below is the complete schedule for the Centennial Women's Soccer Championships:

Semifinals - #4 Muhlenberg at #1 Johns Hopkins - Friday, Nov. 3 at 5:00 p.m.  Follow live!
Semifinals - #2 Gettysburg vs. #3 Swarthmore (at Johns Hopkins) - Friday, Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m.  Follow live!
Final - semifinal winners (at Johns Hopkins) - Sunday, Nov. 5 at 1:00 p.m.

The Swarthmore men's team (12-4-1 overall, 6-3 CC) wrapped up its third consecutive season with a double digit victory total by defeating rival Haverford 3-0 on Oct. 28.  The Garnet are seeded third in the Centennial Championships, facing second-seed Franklin & Marshall (12-2-3 overall, 6-1-2 CC) on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m.  The Diplomats narrowly defeated Swarthmore 1-0 on Oct. 1 at Clothier Field, scoring in the final 36 seconds - the Garnet hold the overall edge in the series (32-23-4) that began in 1926.  Below is a complete schedule for the Centennial Men's Soccer Championships:

Semifinals - #4 Gettysburg at #1 Johns Hopkins - Saturday, Nov. 4 at 5:00 p.m. Follow live!
Semifinals - #2 Franklin & Marshall vs. #3 Swarthmore (at Johns Hopkins) - Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Follow live!
Final - semifinal winners (at Johns Hopkins) - Sunday, Nov. 5 at 4:00 p.m.

DIRECTIONS TO HOMEWOOD FIELD (specific parking lots will be available to fans - please follow the signs for the appropriate lots)

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OFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIP SITE

CARLISLE, Pa. - Garnet runners Jon Shoop '08, Erik Saka '09, Nyika Corbett '10, and Emma Stanley '09 earned All-Centennial honors as the Swarthmore cross country teams ran through wet conditions and strong winds at the 2006 Centennial Conference Championships Saturday morning. 

The Swarthmore men finished in fourth position with 104 team points - the Garnet suffered tough luck when top runner Vernon Chaplin '07 came down with the flu.  Defending champion Haverford took the team title with 20 points, followed by Muhlenberg (56) and Dickinson (102).  Shoop (27:04) and Saka (27:04) completed the 8K course in 11th and 12th position to earn second team All-Centennial.  Junior Ross Weller was close behind in 16th position (27:21), sophomore Dan Hodson ran 32nd with a time of 28:06,  while Chaplin, heroically dragging himself into the race, finished 33rd in a time of 28:08.

The Swarthmore women totaled 130 points to finish fifth as a team, trailing champion Dickinson (26), Haverford (62), Johns Hopkins (114), and Gettysburg 9128).  Corbett led the women's contingent with a sixth-place finish (23:35) to claim first-team All-Centennial honors while Stanley earned her second consecutive All-Conference nod with a 10th place finish (23:55).  Freshman Erin Ronhovde (25:07) took 31st position despite an asthma attack, while Faith Pampel '09 (25:14) ran 34th and Kathy Feeney '09 (25:46) came in 49th.

The Swarthmore runners will direct their training towards the NCAA Division III Mid-East Regionals, scheduled for Nov. 11 in Waynesburg, Pa.

GAME BOX SCORE

SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Franklin & Marshall scored twice in the final 5:02 of regulation to tie the game and scored the game-winner 4:32 into overtime to defeat Swarthmore 4-3 on a breezy Saturday afternoon.  Pamela Cassidy scored twice for the Dips, while Garnet senior Lindsay Roth scored in her final collegiate contest.

Roth opened the scoring just 6:05 into the match, making an acrobatic deflection of a Neema Patel '07 pass It was Roth's 5th goal of the season and 12th of her career.

The Garnet had two goals called back in quick succession midway through the half.  First, the ball illegally went off of Abigail Fischer '08's leg and into the net and Roth put a shot off of a Dip defender and in but was ruled to have been standing just outside the scoring circle.

The ball remained on the Diplomat half of the field for nearly all of the remainder of the half.  Swarthmore finished the period with a 6-1 advantage in shots on goal.  Garnet senior goalkeeper Karen Lorang made one save in the half before being replaced by classmate Melissa LaVan for the second period.

Fischer quickly extended the Garnet lead to 2-0 just 2:12 into the second half.  The junior tapped an Ashley Gunter '09 feed home from just in front of the goal line after Diplomat goalkeeper Jennifer Burdo had made two saves during an extended Swarthmore offensive series.  The goal, Fischer's ninth of the season, gives her the 2006 Garnet goal-scoring title.

The visitors cut the Swarthmore lead to one at 2-1 with 21:12 to play.  F&M's Anne Christensen made a pretty pass from right in front of the goal mouth to a wide-open Pamela Cassidy, who quickly put it home.

After a long scoreless period, the goals started to come fast and furious.  First, with 7:10 to play, Garnet sophomore Sarah Reynolds netted her third score of the year after corralling an Alex Gilbert-Bono '10 shot that had hit the post.  This score gave Swarthmore a 3-1 lead.

Once again, Cassidy pulled the Dips back within one, this time threading the ball through a pair of Garnet defenders and past LaVan with 5:02 remaining in regulation.

The visitors (5-12, 5-5 CC) kept the momentum going and were quickly knocking on the door once again.  LaVan made a sprawling save on Only 1:53 after Cassidy's goal, Maggie Onasch one-timed a Catie Jones pass into the net for the equalizer and the squads were headed to overtime.

Lorang re-entered at goalkeeper for the Garnet at the start of the extra session.

After some back-and-forth action early in overtime, F&M's Brenna Dolphin took a Jessika Mancino pass around the edge of the circle and blasted it home for the game-winner.

The Garnet ended the match with a 12-6 edge in shots and took seven penalty corners to F&M's three.

Burdo recorded seven saves for the Diplomats while Lorang and LaVan collected one save apiece.

Swarthmore concludes the 2006 season with a record of 9-8, 4-6 in the Centennial Conference.

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GAME BOX SCORE

SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Swarthmore rolled into the playoffs in style, breaking open a scoreless match with two late first-half goals, cruising to a 3-0 win over rival Haverford on a cool Saturday night.  The Garnet clinch the 3rd seed in the Centennial Conference playoffs with the win.
 
Swarthmore entered the game knowing that they had a spot in the playoffs after Dickinson and Gettysburg played to a 0-0 tie earlier in the evening but the possibility of earning the #3 seed (and avoiding an opening-round game) with a win, as well as the opportunity to beat Haverford for a third straight time, gave the team plenty to play for.

The Garnet dominated the first half, racking up a 12-5 shot advantage, but could not find the net for the first 40 minutes as attempts sailed high, wide, and into the arms of Haverford netminder Adam Care.

Finally, sophomore forward Stu Leon broke out of a personal goal-scoring slump and got the Garnet on the board.  Leon took a J.P. Faunes '08 feed on the run headed up the field, dribbed into space, and shot the ball past Care at 40:26, breaking a 10-game goalless streak.

Just 33 seconds later, junior Michael Bonesteel made it a 2-0, converting a shot from left of the goal after receiving a nice feed from Ladule Lako Lo Sarah '09.  The score was Bonesteel's fourth on the season.

Bangs made his senior night memorable by assisting on the next Garnet goal.  The senior collected the ball near the endline to the right of the goal, lofted a cross, and saw it get put home by junior Brandon Washington at 50:07.

Things nearly got even better for Bangs when, after getting fouled in the box, he attempted a penalty kick in the 58th minute, but Ford goalkeeper Jim Wiltsee (who had entered at halftime) made a superb diving save.

As time wound down, both teams inserted their reserves and play became wild and wooly, but no more goals were scored.

The Garnet finished the game with a 21-11 shot advantage.  Junior Ryan Sutcliffe made a total of two saves in goal before exiting with 37:53 to play in favor of Zach Weimar '10, who did not have to make a save while wrapping up the shutout.

The win, coupled with the Garnet women's 1-0 triumph over Haverford earlier in the day, gives Swarthmore its first season sweep of the Fords (2-14-1, 1-7-1 CC) in soccer since 1986, when the men won 1-0 and the women 4-1.

Swarthmore (12-4-1, 6-3 CC) will be the third seed in the upcoming Centennial tournament, earning them to a rematch with #2-seed Franklin & Marshall.  The Diplomats downed the Garnet 1-0 on a late goal in their September 30th regular-season match.  Day and time of the semifinal match is unknown and will be available following a conference call on Monday.

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GAME BOX SCORE

SWARTHMORE, Pa.  - Garnet forward Natalie Negrey '07 shone on Senior Day, scoring the lone goal as Swarthmore defeated Haverford 1-0 to wrap up the 2006 regular season.  With the win, Swarthmore clinches the #3 seed in next weekend's Centennial Conference playoffs, where they will face #2-seed Gettysburg in the semifinal round at Johns Hopkins.

Before the game, Swarthmore honored seniors Negrey, Nicole Oberfoell, and Kasie Groom.  The trio leave the program in its best shape ever, having helped the squad towards a record-setting win total and its first ever CC playoff berth this season.

As the season-high crowd of 310 slowly filtered into Clothier Stadium, the teams played a quiet first half.  The Garnet finished the period with a 5-1 shot edge and took both of the shots on goal in the opening 45.

Negrey got the Garnet on the board with 3:25 gone by in the second half.  The senior came open on the left wing and took a long pass from center midfielder Maggie DeLorme.  Negrey took a few dribbles as Ford goalkeeper Lindsay Festa came out to challenge.  As Festa closed in, Negrey chipped the ball over her and the ball rolled slowly towards the net and passed over the goal line just before a Ford defender came in with a slide tackle.

Swarthmore continued to apply pressure, outshooting the Fords 7-5 for the period and generally keeping the ball in the Haverford half.

Garnet goalkeeper Lauren Walker '09 survived pair of second-half collisions, holding onto the ball both times on her way to a three-save shutout, her sixth of the season.  Festa made fives saves for the Fords.

The Fords mounted a charge in the final 10 seconds, but Garnet defender Cait Mullarkey '09 forced a Ford attacker into an awkward shot which went right to Walker.

The win is Swarthmore's first over Haverford since 2002 (4-0 at Swarthmore) and only the second Garnet win in the last 14 matches between the teams.  Haverford holds the overall lead, with a 15-8 record in games between the local rivals.

Swarthmore will make its first-ever Centennial playoff appearance next weekend.  Top seed Johns Hopkins will host the tournament, and the Garnet will face Gettysburg on either Friday or Saturday.  On September 24, the Bullets downed the Garnet 3-2 in Gettysburg.  Swarthmore have the entire week to prepare for what promises to be an exciting re-match.

WOODSTOWN, Nj. - Swarthmore sophomore David Lau fired an 83 to take second place at the Rutgers-Camden Scarlet Raptors Fall Invitational held Friday afternoon at the par-72 Town & Country Golf Links. 

The Garnet collected a team score fo 353, finishing three strokes behind host and champion Rutgers Camden (350).  Swarthmore's team score put it ahead of Haverford (361), Richard Stockton (387), and Gwynedd-Mercy (417).

Rutgers-Camden freshman Dave Taraschi claimed the individual title with a 6-overpar 78, five strokes ahead of Lau.

The Garnet got solid individual performances from senior Ed Goldstein (87), freshman Jeffrey Lazarus (90), and juniors John Russo (93) and Armand Russo (107).

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CENTENNIAL WOMEN'S SOCCER STANDINGS

SWARTHMORE, Pa. - As final scores from Wednesday's Centennial women's soccer action came in, the idle Swarthmore team was able to sit back and watch the first Centennial Conference playoff berth in the program's history became official.

Haverford's 0-0 tie with Ursinus on Wednesday afternoon ensured the Garnet (12-3-1 overall, 6-3 Centennial) would continue its magical 2006 season in the Centennial Conference Championships, beginning Wed., November 1.

Swarthmore head coach Todd Anckaitis and a collection of hungry Swarthmore women have dramatically turned around a soccer team that was 3-11-3 in 2005.  The Garnet are tied for tops in the Centennial with eight shutouts, rank second in goals scored (32) and assists (22), while listing third for goals against average (0.96).  The team has broken school records for wins and already own the most Centennial victories ever by a Swarthmore squad.

The Swarthmore women have one game remaining on the 2006 regular season schedule - bitter rival Haverford comes to Clothier Field on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 4:00 p.m.  History is not in Swarthmore's favor - the Fords have won 10 of the last 11 meetings (the Garnet won 4-0 in 2002). 

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HAVERFORD, Pa. - Swarthmore senior outside hitter Erica George capped her outstanding four-year Garnet volleyball career with a double-double as home-standing Haverford downed Swarthmore 3-0 in Centennial volleyball action Wednesday evening.

The Fords (21-4 overall, 7-2 Centennial) won by scores of 30-24, 30-25, and 30-19.

George led the Garnet with 12 kills and 11 digs for her seventh consecutive double-double and the 13th of the season.  The senior captain finishes her career having played 381 games in 108 matches, accumulating 1,151 career kills and 1,477 career digs, both school records.

On this night, Swarthmore junior Katherine Gold and freshman Kearney Bangs chipped in six kills apiece while sophomore Jen Wang added 11 digs.  Bangs also handed out 20 assists and collected nine digs despite tweaking her ankle in the early stages of the match. 

Swarthmore concludes the 2006 season with a 12-13 overall record and a 3-7 mark in the Centennial Conference.

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GAME BOX SCORE

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. - Swarthmore junior Michael Bonesteel scored his third goal of the season and goalkeeper Ryan Sutcliffe remained perfect in October as the Garnet defeated Ursinus 1-0 in Centennial Conference men's soccer action Wednesday afternoon.

Swarthmore won its third consecutive game to improve to 11-4-1 overall and 5-3 in the Centennial.  The Bears fell to 1-12-2 and 0-7-1 in the conference.

With the win, the Garnet move closer to clinching a third consecutive berth in the Centennial Conference Championships.  Swarthmore currently sits in a tie with Gettysburg for third place (15 points) in the regular season standings with the final day of competition coming on Saturday.

Bonesteel provided the lone fireworks of this game, dodging Bears' netminder Ed de Gottal and settling the ball into the open net at 17:18.

Sutcliffe, who has not given up a goal the entire month, made a diving save off an Ursinus free kick in the second half to post his fifth shut-out of the season.  It has been over 456 minutes (28:11 at Washington on Sept. 27) since the junior has allowed a goal, dropping his season goals against average to 0.56.

The Garnet out-shot the Bears 8-5 in the contest while Ursinus took six corners to Swarthmore's five.

Swarthmore conclude the 2006 regular season on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. with the annual meeting with historic rival Haverford.  A Garnet win or tie sends Swarthmore into the Centennial playoffs (as does a Dickinson loss vs. Gettysburg).