SALISBURY, MD – The Swarthmore College field hockey team opened its 2026 campaign with a 5-1 loss to No. 5 Salisbury University on Tuesday. The Seagulls scored three goals in the third quarter to pull away from the Garnet.
Anna Schwartz tallied Swarthmore's lone goal, recording her first collegiate score after the first-year put back a second-chance opportunity following a Garnet penalty corner. Swarthmore registered four shots on the evening, with three reaching the cage.
Josie Sarno faced 12 shots against a high-powered Salisbury offense. The rookie held her own between the pipes, making seven saves while allowing five goals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both teams played to a scoreless opening stanza. Sarno made her first collegiate save at the 5:47 mark, successfully fighting off a Seagulls penalty corner. The Garnet offense was held in check, while the defense battled through a couple corners and three shot attempts.
- The Seagulls broke through with the game's opening score at the 24:23 mark after taking advantage of a corner attempt. Salisbury fired off a game-high six shots in the period with a pair resulting in Sarno saves.
- Early in the third,
Magdelana Jordan and
Annika Hoyer helped spark the Garnet offense with shots on goal. The Seagulls, however, quickly built momentum with two goals to take a three-goal lead. The Garnet continued to battle and eventually capitalized on a penalty corner. After
Zoe Larsen's initial shot was blocked by a defender, Schwartz buried the rebound for Swarthmore's first goal of the season, cutting the deficit to two. Salisbury answered later in the stanza, restoring its three-goal advantage.
- Salisbury tacked on one final insurance tally in the fourth quarter. Sarno held her ground in the period, making four saves to limit the damage.
GARNET LEADERS
Goals: Schwartz 1
Saves: Sarno 7
UP NEXT
The Garnet (0-1) host Scranton University on Saturday afternoon.
