Late Rally Falls Just Short as Dickinson Defeats Women's Soccer 2-1
CARLISLE, Pa. - In a hard-fought battle between two highly ranked sides in the Mid-Atlantic region, the Swarthmore College women's soccer team's late rally fell just short to Centennial rival Dickinson, as the Red Devils hung on to defeat Swat 2-1 on Saturday afternoon.
The loss snaps the Garnet's (5-3) five-game winning streak and is the first Centennial blemish after a strong 2-0 start to the conference schedule.
Sophomore Megan Brock scored for the second-consecutive match and third time this season, leading a furious late-game rally with a goal in the 88th minute.
Dickinson (4-2-1) was led by a prolific performance from sophomore Olivia Licata, who netted both of the Red Devils' goals ('29, '67).
Licata's goal off an assist from teammate Jess Swain in 29th minute put the Garnet down 1-0 at the half, despite putting forth an evenly fought half. In the second half, Licata struck again, this time in the 67th minute off an assist by Casey Reilly, making it a 2-0 match.
The Garnet mustered up a late surge led by Brock, who scored a goal in the 88th minute. After finally finding the back of the net, time proved to the Garnet's ultimate enemy, as the clock soon expired, ruining Swat's chance to earn a victory in Carlisle for the second-consecutive season.
Senior captain Marie Mutryn had another strong performance between the pipes, recording six saves to keep the match close.
The Garnet had no problem tallying shots on target, recording nine on the day, six of which came in the second half as part of the Garnet's rally.
The close contest is just the latest in a series of competitive games between the Garnet and Red Devils over the past few seasons; since 2008, the two squads have played six matches - two in the postseason - that were all within a goal. The Garnet still holds the edge over that stretch, 3-2-1.
The Garnet have an opportunity to rebound on Tuesday, September 27th with an away non-conference match against Cabrini. Play is set for 4:00.
