Garnet Begin Quest for ECAC Three-Peat With 3-0 Victory Over Centenary
SWARTHMORE, Pa. – A flurry of three goals over a nine-minute span was more than enough as the No. 3 seed Swarthmore College women’s soccer team defeated No. 6 Centenary 3-0 in the first round of the ECAC Division III South Region Championships from Clothier Field Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Peterson scored the Garnet's first goal.
Junior Kirsten Peterson and seniors Maggie DeLorme and Taylor Rhodes all scored for the Garnet (14-4-1), who now move on to the semifinals to face No. 2 Stevenson – a 3-2 (OT) winner over No. 7 Moravian earlier in the day.
The Garnet - the two-time defending ECAC Champions - dominated much of the play from the opening whistle, finishing with 10 first-half shots on goal and 12 for the game, while the defense limited the potent Cyclone offense – which came into the game averaging just under three goals per game - to just three shots on goal and limited scoring opportunities.
Swarthmore took control of the game with three goals over a nine-span late in the first half. Kirsten Peterson got the Swat attack in motion in the 32nd minute, gathering the ball off a deflected shot at the top of the box by teammate Kelsey Cline and rocketing the ball into the right post, giving Swarthmore the early 1-0 lead.
Just three minutes later, DeLorme – who was recently named All-Centennial Conference Honorable Mention – headed home a goal off a corner kick by Rhodes, extending the lead to 2-0.
The final Swat dagger came in the 41st minute when Rhodes got into the scoring act herself, collecting a ball that deflected of a Cyclone defender and scoring a long-range goal from the very top of the box, bringing the game to the 3-0 final.
In goal for the Garnet, sophomore Marie Mutryn recorded two saves in 78 minutes of action, while replacement freshman Beth Martin made one save. Centenary goalkeeper Ashley Denti made nine saves in net for the Cyclones.