Athletics News

GAME BOX SCORE

HAVERFORD, Pa. - Haverford freshman Ariel Herm scored her first collegiate goal and junior Colleen Farrell notched her eighth as the Fords (7-8 overall, 3-6 CC) upset Swarthmore 2-0 in Centennial field hockey action on a cold, blustery afternoon on the Main Line.

The game was a re-match of the 4-1 Swarthmore victory in the fifth-place game of the 2006 Seven Sisters Championship.

Haverford controlled play through much of the first half, holding a 7-1 shot advantage while taking 10 penalty corners to six for the Garnet. 

Herm tipped in the eventual game-winner at 22:40, re-directing a cross from sophomore defender Julia McGuire just inside the right side of the cage.

Swarthmore came out at the second half with plenty of vigor, looking for the equalizer.  The Garnet had a golden opportunity in the 57th minute when an Ashley Gunter '09 shot drew a penalty stroke for Swarthmore.  With the clock frozen at 56:05, Garnet senior captain Summer Spicer lined up against Fords' goalie Sarah Graves.  Spicer flipped the shot towards the top of the cage, but Graves denied the attempt to keep the score at 1-0.

The Fords added an insurance goal in the 69th minute - Farrell got behind the Swarthmore defense on the left side and raced at Garnet goalie Melissa LaVan.  The Haverford junior shot the ball at the short post and LaVan deflected it with her heel across the goal mouth.  Farrell stayed with the ball and popped it into the cage at 68:44 for her team-leading eighth score of 2006.

Graves made four saves in goal for her second shut-out of the season while Swarthmore goalies Karen Lorang '07 (two saves) and LaVan (three saves) split the duties in net.

Swarthmore will need help in its quest to make the Centennial playoffs as the Garnet sit in a fifth-place tie (eight points) with idle Muhlenberg and F&M.

The Garnet (9-7 overall, 4-5 CC) conclude the 2006 regular season on Saturday, Oct. 28th with the annual Senior Day celebration against F&M at 12:00 p.m.  The annual Swarthmore Alumnae Game will follow the conclusion of the varsity contest (approx. 1:30 p.m.).

GAME BOX SCORE

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Muhlenberg benefited from a large advantage in shots, defeating Swarthmore 3-1 in Centennial field hockey action Saturday afternoon.  The Mules and the Garnet now have identical records (9-6 overall and 4-4 in the Centennial) in the race for a conference playoff spot.

Muhlenberg got on the board early when LisaAnn Polt deflected in a shot from the top of the circle by teammate Nikki Rhoads at 10:10.

The Garnet evened the affair at 24:03 when sophomore Sarah Reynolds tipped in a shot by senior midfielder Summer Spicer.  It is the first goal of the season for Reynolds and the team-high fifth helper from Spicer.

The score remained tied 1-1 into the intermission with the Mules holding a 17-4 shot advantage (Muhlenberg also took nine corners to one for the Garnet).

The Mules took control of the game in the final ten minutes; Nicole Notarianni finished off a scramble in front of the net at 60:39 for the game-winner and teammate Jillian Duffy put back a rebound off a penalty corner at 62:22 to secure the win.

Garnet goalie Karen Lorang made a strong effort between the pipes, tallying 13 saves while facing a barrage of shots (the Mules finished the afternoon with a 36-6 lead in the category).  Mules counterpart Lauren Schram put up three saves on her end of the field.

Swarthmore is now in a three-way tie with the Mules and Franklin & Marshall for the fifth and final spot in the 2006 Centennial Conference playoffs.

Swarthmore continues its quest for a Centennial playoff spot on the road -taking on Haverford on Tues., October 29 at 4:00 p.m.  The Garnet conclude the 2006 regular season on Saturday, Oct. 28th with the annual Senior Day celebration against F&M at 1:00 p.m.

GAME BOX SCORE

SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Swarthmore junior J.P. Faunes had a goal and an assist as the Garnet defeated McDaniel 2-0 in a vital Centennial Conference game Saturday night at Clothier Field.  The win is the fourth in five games for the Garnet (10-4-1, 4-3 Centennial) and the first over the Green Terror at home since the 1996 season.

Swarthmore is now in a tie for third place in the Centennial with 12 points (with Gettysburg) and reaches double digit wins for the third straight season (last time occurred from 1993-1995).

The Green Terror almost broke the scoreless tie in the 33rd minute when McDaniel's Peter Gaitens volleyed a rebound attempt off the far post. 

A physical contest (29 fouls, three cards) throughout the first half saw the Garnet out-shoot McDaniel 7-3.

The Garnet took the lead in the 68th minute of play when Faunes put home his second goal of the season on a loose ball in front of the McDaniel net.  The midfielder caught the sphere on a perfect bounce, volleying a rocket into the left side of the net at 67:46. 

Swarthmore struck again nine minutes later off a corner kick served up by Faunes - sophomore defender Jeff Kushner was on the receiving end, heading home his first career goal at 77:15 to clinch a Garnet victory.

The Garnet were the aggressor for much of the night, out-shooting the Green Terror 15-4.

Swarthmore junior goalkeeper Ryan Sutcliffe did not register a save, yet extended his scoreless streak to 367:35 with his fifth shut-out of 2006.  McDaniel net-minder Christian Maisel made four saves as the Green Terror fell to 7-8 overall and 3-4 in the Centennial.

Swarthmore resumes the race for a coveted conference playoff spot on Wednesday, Oct. 25 when they travel to Ursinus College for a 4:00 p.m. game.

GAME BOX SCORE

SWARTHMORE, Pa.  - Swarthmore freshman Katie Kanuka once again put the cherry on top of another impressive effort by the Garnet women's soccer team, scoring the game-winner in the 104th minute of 1-0 Swarthmore victory over visiting Dickinson in Centennial Conference action Saturday afternoon. 

It is the fifth consecutive win for the Garnet and the school's first defeat of the Devils since 2002.  In four overtime games this season, Swarthmore remains unbeaten (3-0-1).

Swarthmore is now 12-3-1 overall and 6-3 in Centennial play, breaking the school record for conference wins in a season (previous was five by the 2002 squad).  The Garnet possess 18 points in the race for a first-ever Centennial playoff spot and are tied with Muhlenberg for third in the standings (Swarthmore holds the tie-breaker with a 1-0 overtime win on Sept. 26 and plays the final regular season game at home vs. rival Haverford on Oct. 28).

Swarthmore had a great scoring chance in the 11th minute created by Natalie Negrey's deft move around a Devils' defender at the top of the box.  Negrey took two steps following the side-step and curled a shot over the head of Dickinson goalkeeper Kailyn Hartmann.  The ball caromed off the cross bar and bounced to the far post where Kanuka's rebound attempt sailed high.

The Garnet out-shot the Devils 6-4 in the first half and took three corner kicks to Dickinson's zero.

The 80th minute saw another Swarthmore shot hit off the crossbar, this one coming off a free kick from freshman midfielder Maggie DeLorme.

After 90 minutes of play, the Garnet held a 13-8 shot advantage, yet the Devils got three shots on goal to Swarthmore's two.

The Garnet got a great chance with four minutes left in the first overtime period - O'Neil touched the ball to classmate Taylor Rhodes who sent a cross at eye-level to Kanuka.  Kanuka's subsequent header back to the right side of the net was denied on a nice lunging save by Hartmann.

The game-winner started with Rhodes winning a ball at mid-field and pushing it up the field to a streaking Kanuka.  The fleet freshman beat one Devils' defender and then shielded the ball with her body to keep another Dickinson back at bay.  Once inside the penalty box, Kanuka sent a rocket towards the left side of the net, giving the shot enough force that Hartman was unable to keep it from "bulgin' the onion bag" at 102:33.

It is the 16th goal (ninth game-winner) of the season for Kanuka, tops in the Centennial this season

Garnet sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Walker made four saves for her fifth shut-out of the season while Hartman registered six impressive saves for the Devils (8-7 overall and 5-3 in the Centennial).

Swarthmore resumes Centennial action at home on Saturday, Oct. 28 when historic rival Haverford visits Clothier Field for a 4:00 p.m. game.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Garnet senior Erica George tallied 17 kills and 25 digs while junior Katherine Gold added 10 kills as the home-standing Muhlenberg Mules defeated Swarthmore 3-1 (25-30, 30-20, 30-24, 30-23) in Centennial volleyball action Saturday afternoon.

The Garnet fall to 12-12 overall and 3-5 in the Centennial while the Mules improve to 9-14 overall and 3-5 in the CC.

Garnet sophomore libero Erin Heaney paced the defense with 28 digs while junior middle blocker Karen Berk chipped in four blocks.  Freshman setter Kearney Bangs handed out 40 assists and chipped in 22 digs for her tenth double-double of the season.  Sophomore Kristin Caspar also served up four aces for Swarthmore.

Swarthmore concludes the 2006 regular season with its final Centennial match at rival Haverford on Wednesday, October 25 at 7:00 p.m.

MATCH BOX SCORE

SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Swarthmore senior Erica George broke the school record for digs and added eight kills as visiting Franklin & Marshall downed the Garnet 3-0 in Centennial Conference volleyball action on Senior Night in Tarble Pavilion.  The Diplomats (14-5 overall, 9-0 CC) defeated Swarthmore (12-11, 3-5 CC) by scores of 30-28, 30-22, 30-24.

The match was preceded by the ceremonies honoring the final regular season home match of Swarthmore's two seniors - outside hitter George and right side Stephanie Koskowich.

The Garnet jumped out to a 17-12 lead in game one following a pair of service aces from junior middle blocker Katherine Gold.  George came into the match needing only four digs to pass current Swarthmore assistant coach Patrice Berry '06 (1,433 career digs).  The senior captain registered the milestone with three digs in one sequence and the score 19-12 in favor of the Garnet.

The Diplomats knotted the score at 25-apiece before a kill from Swarthmore outside hitter Jen Wang '09 forced an F&M timeout with the score 27-25 Swarthmore.  The Diplomats responded by collecting three of the next four points, eliciting a time-out from the Swarthmore bench.  F&M came out of the break with the serve and got a bit of luck - as the attempt headed out of bounds to the left side, the ball clipped the net and fell right on the line.  The Diplomats claimed the final point to win the first game 30-28.

F&M had little trouble in the second game, getting five kills from outside hitter Margot Phelan and converted nine of the last eleven points for the 30-22 win.

The third game was neck-and-neck with the Garnet running off five of six points to tie the score at 21-21.  The Diplomats took control, tallying seven of the final nine points to remain undefeated in Centennial action in 2006.

George led the Swarthmore offensive attack with 10 kills while junior middle Karen Berk and Wang added eight kills each.  Gold had an impressive all-around performance, posting five kills, four aces and seven digs.  Freshman setter Kearney Bangs handed out 25 assists while sophomore libero Erin Heaney sailed around the court for a team-high 20 digs.

George concluded the match with 11 digs, giving her 1441 career digs and another school record - she holds the career kills mark with 1122 at the end of the match on Thursday. 

Berk added a team-high five blocks to move into the top ten all-time in Centennial Conference history with 340 career blocks.

The Garnet collected 66 digs as a team - the number is significant as the Swarthmore women selected tonight's match as the measuring stick for their participation in the "Digging For a Cure" fundraiser.  Each of the Garnet volleyball players also sported pink ribbons in their hair, showing support for the fight against breast cancer.

Swarthmore resumes Centennial action at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 21 in Allentown, Pa. on the campus of Muhlenberg College.

GAME BOX SCORE

SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Swarthmore sophomore forward Yoi Tibbetts gave the Garnet men's soccer team the only offense of the evening in 1-0 Swarthmore victory over visiting Alvernia Wednesday night. 

The warm evening at Clothier Field welcomed 165 patrons to a non-conference battle featuring two of the best teams in the region.   The Crusaders (10-4-2) have already put together the best season in program history and were recently ranked 10th in the NSCAA/adidas regional poll while the Garnet (9-4-1) are already assured of its third consecutive winning season and find themselves in thick of a heated Centennial Conference playoff race (Swarthmore has also been listed on the NSCAA/adidas regional poll multiple times in recent years) .

The game was evenly played through the first 45 minutes - each team got off four shots while the score remained knotted at 0-0.

Swarthmore ended the scoreless tie in the 79th minute when Tibbetts headed in his fifth goal of the season.  The game-winning play began with a free kick at midfield that junior captain Brendan Grady floated deep into the Crusaders' box.  Classmate Darren Johnson headed the moon shot onto the far post where Tibetts found the left side of the net with a neck-snapper, beating Crusaders' keeper Richard Kessler at 78:30.

The score is the fifth of the season for Tibbets - a career-high and tops on the team.

Garnet goalkeeper Ryan Sutcliffe '08 survived a couple of skirmishes in front of his net, posting two saves for his fourth shut out this year - the junior has not been scored on in his last 277:35 of action.  Kessler made one save in net for Alvernia.

The Garnet held a slight shot advantage (9-7) while the corner kicks listed even at three apiece.

Swarthmore resumes the race for a coveted conference playoff spot on Saturday, Oct. 21 when they host Centennial rival McDaniel at 7:00 p.m.

GAME BOX SCORE

SWARTHMORE, Pa.  - The Garnet women's soccer team broke the school record for victories in a season, downing Chestnut Hill 3-1 on a warm Wednesday evening at Clothier Field. 

Swarthmore improved to 11-3-1 on the season while the Griffins slipped to 8-6-2.  Swarthmore is 6-0-1 against non-Centennial opponents this season - its final two regular season games with be Centennial matches on Clothier Field.  The 11 victories broke the school record set by the 2002 squad (10-9).

The Garnet scored in the opening minutes of action when Katie Kanuka dropped a pass back to the middle of the goal mouth where junior Danielle Tocchet one-touched the ball and beat Griffins goalie Krista Deflaviis on the left side of the net.  It was Tocchet's second goal in as many games and her third score of the season.

Swarthmore took the 1-0 lead into the intermission, out-shooting Chestnut Hill 12-3.

The Garnet added a second goal at the start of the second half when Kanuka beat her defender and tried to chip the ball over Deflaviis' head.  The Chestnut hill goalkeeper got a piece of the shot, but not enough to keep it from bouncing in the right side of the net.  For Kanuka, it is her team-leading 15th score of the season - good for tops in the Centennial.

Chestnut Hill cut the deficit to 2-1 when Griffins midfielder Maureen Dugat converted a penalty kick in the 71st minute of play.

The Garnet put the game out of reach when sophomore forward Melinda Petre scored her second goal of the season at 85:14.  Swarthmore senior Natalie Negrey sent a corner to the near post and a Griffin defender knocked the ball away from the net.  The ball bounced right to Petre, who volleyed it home for a 3-1 Swarthmore lead.

Swarthmore starting goalkeeper Lauren Walker '09 made a save in the first 61 minutes and junior Kristen Traband added a stop in almost 30 minutes of action.  Deflaviis registered seven saves for Chestnut Hill.

Swarthmore resumes Centennial action at home on Saturday, Oct. 21 when defending champion Dickinson comes to Clothier Field for a 4:00 p.m. game.

MATCH BOX SCORE

ASTON, Pa. - The Garnet put a three-game skid to bed, defeating homestanding Neumann College 3-1 in a tight non-conference volleyball match on Tuesday evening.

Swarthmore (12-10 overall) downed the Knights (13-10) by scores of 30-26, 28-30, 30-28, 30-28.

The Garnet were led by sophomore outside hitter Jen Wang, who tied for the match-high with 16 kills and added nine digs.  Swarthmore freshman Johanna Bond tallied a career-high 14 kills and five aces while classmate Kearney Bangs handed out 47 assists (her second-highest total to date - 54 vs. Gwynedd Mercy on Sept. 8).  Junior middle blocker Karen Berk added 10 kills and five blocks while sophomore libero Erin Heaney led the defense with a match-high 24 digs.

Swarthmore resumes Centennial action this Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. when the F&M visits Tarble Pavilion on Senior Night.  The Garnet will honor the team's two seniors, Erica George and Stephanie Koskowich, with a pre-game ceremony.

PEACH BOTTOM, Pa. - The Swarthmore men's golf team, led by senior Eric Zwick and freshman Jeffrey Lazarus, finished eighth at the F&M Invitational held at Pilgrim's Oak Golf Club on Oct. 14-15.

Wesley College posted a score of 629 to edge out host Franklin & Marshall (630) for the team title.  Bo Maguire from Ursinus College shot a 150 (78-72) to earn the individual title.