Lacrosse Fit

April 30—Senior Day—Swarthmore’s men’s lacrosse team clinched its first postseason placement in Centennial Conference history by routing Haverford. A literal last-second save by goalie Cole Fox ’17 helped the Garnet emerge victorious after an 8-7 nail-biter against the Fords.

Even though Swarthmore ultimately lost to Gettysburg in the tournament, making the playoffs was a victory in itself.

“It’s a major accomplishment given the quality of the teams in the conference,” Swarthmore’s Pat Gress, Centennial Coach of the Year, says. “It means that our players have worked very diligently on the practice field and in the video room.”

Swarthmore faced an uphill battle after a 9-8 overtime loss to Franklin & Marshall April 16. The Garnet rose to the occasion with three gutsy wins to close out the regular season: a 7-5 win against Dickinson (the first over the Red Devils since 2009), a 11-10 overtime triumph at Washington College (which avenged last season’s extra-period loss to the Shoremen), and the Haverford victory.

Swarthmore attackman Cam Marsh ’18 gave a monster showing, finishing second in the conference with 54 points, and becoming the fourth All-Centennial Conference First Team member in program history. As proud as he is of the potential of his underclassmen players, Coach Gress stresses the pivotal role of veteran leadership.

“Everyone on our team knows that commitment, teamwork, and experience are crucial,” he says. “Returning players understand they will have big shoes to fill when the seniors leave.”