Box Score

SWARTHMORE, Pa. – Senior defender Justin Cosentino scored his first career goal with just over a minute remaining in regulation to help lift the Swarthmore College men's lacrosse team to a thrilling 12-11 victory over Vassar on Wednesday, Apr. 29 at Clothier Field. It was the final game of the season for both teams and sent the Garnet's senior class out on a high note.
 
Senior Andrew Preiser notched four points on three goals and one assist to lead the way for Swarthmore. He ended his career ranked fourth all-time with 78 helpers over four seasons. Sophomore Eric Levin recorded six ground balls and two caused turnovers. Vassar's Noah Parson tallied four points on two goals and two assists and finished the spring with a program-record 35 goals.
 
Vassar (6-10) knotted the game for the fourth time at 10s when Noah Parson found the back of the net with 5:34 to play, but Swarthmore responded with back-to-back goals just 31 seconds apart to pull away in the waning minutes. Preiser came in from behind the net to put the hosts ahead at the 1:34 mark, and on a clear attempt, Cosentino started from the middle of the field and drove in all alone after evading multiple defenders to provide the goal that would prove to be the difference with 1:03 to play.
 
The Brewers did not give up and sliced the Garnet lead in half by getting a marker from Liam Moriarty with 13 seconds left. Swarthmore, however, won the ensuing faceoff and held on until the final horn sounded.
 
Freshman Matt Johnson scored two early goals to put Swarthmore up 3-1 early on before the Brewers responded with three unanswered to take a 4-3 lead. Moriarty paced the offense with a goal and an assist during the stretch.
 
Despite trailing 5-4 after the first quarter, Swarthmore scored three straight of its own to bounce back ahead by a 7-5 score. A goal by senior Joseph Hagedorn that was set up by freshman Sam Merritt gave the Garnet an 8-6 lead at the recess.
 
Swarthmore took its largest lead of the game at 10-6 when freshman Sam Sokota and Preiser scored back-to-back markers in the opening minutes of the third, but the Brewers answered with four in a row to tie the game at 10-all. Preiser and Cosentino then tallied goals with under two minutes left to allow the hosts to hang on.
 
Sophomore Cole Fox picked up the victory by making 12 saves for Swarthmore, which outshot the Brewers 42-35 and had a 39-27 advantage in the ground game. Erik Mikelinich turned away 11 shots in the losing effort.
 
Swarthmore (7-8), which finished its season with its highest win total since recording nine victories in 2008, is slated to return 26 letterwinners and five starters next season.