SWARTHMORE, Pa. - The Swarthmore College men's soccer team made a statement with a 3-1 victory over No. 14 Occidental College to open a two-game swing in California on Friday night. The Garnet claimed their first nationally-ranked victory since taking down No. 16 Dickinson in double overtime on October 25, 2014.
Len Yamabe scored the first and final goals of the match to lead the Garnet in a landmark win. The sophomore opened the scoring in the 40th minute, while adding the closing tally in the 83rd minute. Shlok Kaul provided the game-winning score in the 62nd minute for his first collegiate tally.
The Garnet rose to the challenge as they dictated play against their nationally-ranked opponent. Swarthmore outshot the Tigers, 15-10, while holding a 5-1 advantage in corner attempts.
Christian Bignotti played a full 90-minutes for the third-straight game. The senior captain made three saves to pick up his second victory in goal.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Garnet went 30-minutes without allowing an Occidental shot attempt. Swarthmore was credited with the first three attempts of the game - including an Adrien Marcelli shot on goal in the 10th minute. The Tigers did not record a shot on goal in the opening half.
- Swarthmore made the most of a stellar opening half with a goal in the 40th minute. Yamabe scored his first of two goals with a high-left strike past the keeper. Anzel Zhen assisted the score to record an assist for the second-straight contest.
- The Garnet attack picked up where they left off with a flurry of scoring changes to open the second half. Joseph Eyiolowope and Kaito Hikino both challenged the keeper with shots in the 54th and 55th minutes, respectively. Tejas Sarna then maintained pressure with another shot on goal in the 59th minute.
- Kaul broke through in the 62nd minute to add a crucial insurance tally. The sophomore beat the keeper low on an assist from Eyiolowope to give the Garnet a two-goal advantage. The goal marked Kaul's first collegiate score.
- Soon after the Garnet expanded their lead, Bignotti saw his first three shots on goal. The keeper stopped the first two chances from the Tigers, but was unable to keep Occidental off the board on its third attempt.
- Bignotti bounced back with a save in the 68th minute to preserve his team's lead. Yamabe then provided extra breathing room with his second score in the 82nd minute. The sophomore beat the keeper high-right to put the game away with an unassisted tally.
GARNET LEADERS
Points: Yamabe 4
Goals: Yamabe 2, Kaul 1
Assists: Zhen, Eyiolowope 1
Shots: Yamabe 4
Saves: Bignotti 3
UP NEXT
The Garnet (2-0-1) finish their two-game road trip at California Institute of Technology on Sunday.
