WESTMINSTER, Md. – There were an astonishing five goals scored over the last 10 minutes of action and when the final horn sounded, it was the Swarthmore College men's soccer team who emerged with a 4-2 victory at McDaniel College on Saturday, earning a crucial three points in the Centennial Conference standings.
Joseph Marinello V gave the Garnet the advantage less than six minutes into the contest. The rookie's first career goal stood for 75 minutes before
Noah Daniel seemingly put the game away for Swarthmore in the 81
st minute. However, the Green Terror stunned the Garnet with two goals in just over five minutes to even the score with 3:15 to play.
Incredibly, Swarthmore responded with
Len Yamabe netting his first of the season at the 2:06 mark to put the Garnet back in front.
Joost Almekinders added a penalty-kick goal seconds later to cap off a wild finish.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Marinello V opened the scoring on the first shot of the game in the sixth minute. He found a hole in the defense in the box and tapped in a low cross from
Shlok Kaul. The Swarthmore defense maintained the edge throughout the first half, allowing just one shot to reach goalkeeper
Eli Cogan.
- The Garnet continued to limit opportunities for McDaniel over the first 35 minutes of the second half as Cogan was not challenged by the Green Terror. Daniel put Swarthmore up two in the 81
st minute, beating the goalie on a 1-v-1 chance.
- The game then devolved into chaos as a foul in the box allowed McDaniel to get on the board with a penalty kick in the 82
nd minute. Five minutes later, the Green Terror scored the improbable equalizer off a long throw and the teams were even at two with just over three minutes remaining.
- Just over a minute after play resumed,
Colin Solic dribbled down the right side, seeking the go-ahead tally. He crossed the ball into the box looking to connect with
JohnPaul D'Andrea, who slipped behind a defender and was in line for a tap-in goal. Recognizing the danger, the McDaniel keeper lunged forward and punched the pass away but the ball went right to Yamabe, who booted it into the left side of the net for a 3-2 advantage. Almekinders provided insurance with a penalty kick in the 89
th minute, putting the bow on an exhilarating ending.
GARNET LEADERS
Goals: Four players 1
Assists: Kaul 1
Shots: Almekinders, Yamabe 4
Saves: Cogan 1
UP NEXT
The Garnet (3-6-2, 2-2 Centennial) play Ursinus College at home on October 10.
