SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Both Garnet captains scored in a thrilling 2-1 victory over Immaculata University Saturday evening at Clothier Stadium. The large, raucous crowd - including a sizeable contingent of visiting fans - were treated to a real nail-biter in the opening match of 2021 for both teams.
The Garnet got off to a great start when senior captain
Harry Nevins converted off a scramble in the 26th minute. Immaculata goalkeeper Garrett Pepper made three saves to keep the match close in the first half, including a stunning stop of senior winger
Ayo George's thumping header. Swarthmore dominated the initial period, firing off seven shots and earning eight corners to only one of each for Immaculata.
But the visitors responded with just 20 seconds remaining in the half on a free kick. Forward Josh Fonder flicked a header when Christian Wuertz hammered a free kick from 40 yards out. The redirection fooled Swarthmore's freshman goalkeeper
Christian Bignotti to equalize for the Mighty Macs. This was just a hint of what was to come in the second half.
A back and forth 45-minute affair that featured seven bookings and 19 fouls seemed destined for overtime knotted at one. Swarthmore took another 11 shots at goal, and another four corners, all while limiting Immaculata to no shots and only one corner in the half. But the Garnet could not find a way past Pepper and the stalwart line of five defenders in front of him. Until senior midfielder
Charley Ward asked the question. From 20 yards out, Ward blasted a low, driven shot that Pepper couldn't quite handle. His only real mistake of the day spilled right to Swarthmore's opportunistic co-captain, senior winger
Joe Barile. Barile scrambled in the winner with just 14.4 seconds on the clock to get the season off to a great start for the 16th-ranked Garnet and sent the home crowd into a frenzy.
Swarthmore kicks off tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 pm against Babson College in their second match of the Garnet Alumni Classic. The other match Saturday saw Babson knock off Widener in Chester, Pa., 2-1.
