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BY VICTOR BRADY

In print | Published November 19, 2009

In the final month of the 2009 regular season, the men’s soccer team won just twice in a five-game stretch after starting the year at 13-1. But in the first weekend of the 2009 NCAA Tournament, the Garnet equaled its post-Oct. 13 win total, defeating the United States Merchant Marine Academy and Hobart College, each by a score of 2-1.

After finishing the regular season at 14-1-2, the Garnet lost in the semifinals of the Centennial Conference playoffs to Johns Hopkins before earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III men’s soccer Tournament.

In Saturday’s first round matchup on Clothier Field, the team found themselves down early, as the Mariners capitalized on a pretty back-door run just four minutes and four seconds into the game to take a 1-0 lead. But the Garnet showed resilience, battling back and tying the game on a Gage Newman ’11 header off a free kick from Kieran Reichert ’13.

With just 4.6 seconds remaining in the half, a Dylan Langley ’10 cross deflected off the head of a defender and into the back of the net, giving the Garnet the 2-1 halftime lead – a lead that would never be relinquished. That goal allowed the Garnet to play defensive soccer in the second half as the Mariners pushed for an equalizing goal.

“[Getting that own goal] was enormous — just to completely turn the momentum in our favor, and to be able to come out in the second half and protect the lead as opposed to get the lead — unbelievable. It made for a completely different mindset and made for a huge amount of confidence on our team,” said head coach Eric Wagner, who led the Garnet to the Sweet 16 in last year’s NCAA Tournament before falling to Amherst College.

The Garnet has now allowed just three second-half goals all year while it has scored 22. “We are very fit, and we are very deep, and we know how to take a game all the way through … it makes a big difference when your mindset is ‘we have to go to the end and we have to play as hard as we can throughout’ … we do set our resolve a lot more firmly in the second half. Guys know when the game is on the line,” Wagner added.

But it was Zach Weimar ’11 in goal who made the play of the second half, helping to preserve the Garnet victory. With the ball loose in the Swarthmore box, Weimar made two quick saves, including one while lying on the ground, before diving across the goal-mouth to block a third shot.

The win on Saturday set the stage for a Sunday showdown with Hobart College, a team that unleashed 43 shots in a Saturday win over St. Josephs (L.I.), just two off of the NCAA Division III Tournament record. But on Sunday, in a game that featured eight bookings and three red cards, the Garnet was able to shut down the Statesmen attack, holding Hobart to just two shots after halftime.

For the second night in a row, the Garnet men found themselves down a goal early, as a deflected shot bounced into the net just under 17 minutes into the game. After a flurry of fouls and cards, the Garnet began to dictate play, taking 15 shots and gaining 12 corners in the second half.

As the Garnet pressured the Statesmen defense late into the second half, it was John Pontillo ’13 who came off of the Swarthmore bench in the second half, finding Morgan Langley ’11 at the top of the Hobart box. Langley turned inside and unleashed a laser, and with 4 minutes and 40 seconds remaining in the second half, the Garnet tied the game at one. For Langley, the team’s leading scorer, it was his 14th goal of the year. For Pontillo, it was his first career point.

“We subbed [Pontillo] in late in the game, thinking that he would give us a better chance to score, primarily because he is so good in the air, and we were getting all these headers and corner kicks and chances in their box … and so for him to set up the goal in the way he did, it was a bit unusual, but no surprise, because he is a good player,” Wagner said.
“I was shocked and relieved when that ball hit the back of net. The first thought was ‘How did that happen?’  Then I was just excited because I knew the game would be ours after that,” said Langley, who averaged just under a goal per game during the regular season.

Finally, after the teams finished regulation tied at one and played a scoreless first overtime, it was Phillipe Celestin ’11, with his first goal of the season, pushing the Garnet back to the Sweet 16.

Celestin had just one career goal entering Sunday, as he scored in his first career game in 2007, part of a 10-0 victory over Delaware Valley State. His second career goal could hardly have come at a better time.

Though the Garnet had played four NCAA Tournament games entering Sunday, Celestin had not been active for any of them. After suffering a broken hand last season before the Tournament, he was unavailable on Saturday while directing a composition on campus.

“As soon as I took the shot, I knew that it was going to be a goal, it just felt right coming off my foot, and from that point up until about 10 minutes later I was just a mess,” Celestin said of the game-winner.

“Soccer is something that has really meant a lot to me throughout my life; it is something I have an intense passion for and that is an irrevocable part of who I am. Playing here at Swarthmore has been a real challenge for me, as it has taken me a long time to work my way onto the field,” said Celestin, who has worked through injury to come back as an instrumental part of the Garnet this year.

“As much praise as I have gotten, that victory wasn’t about me; it was about our team and our heart and determination, and every player who stepped on that field contributed to the result. This is the closest I have ever felt to a team; we are like brothers, and to be able to continue this incredible season together is just perfect,” Celestin said.

Weimar expressed similar sentiments about the unity on the team as they look forward to tomorrow’s matchup with Transylvania (Ky.) in the third round of the tournament from Carnegie Mellon University. Transylvania upset Ohio Wesleyan, the top seed in Swarth-more’s quarter of the bracket, in the second round of action.

“At this point, it is a one-and-done scenario, every game matters [and] we just want to keep playing. With regards to [the game against Transylvania] … we get to go play the game we love with a group of guys who are awesome hardworking individuals and the best teammates you could ask for, I think we are ready. Friday we will be great,” Weimar said.

“The momentum is back on our side and everybody feels refreshed and ready to continue our season a few more games,” Langley added. Aside from momentum, the Garnet will also have sophomore defender Pierre Dyer ’12 back in the lineup.

The winner of Friday’s Swarthmore/Transylvania matchup will take on the winner of Carnegie Mellon/Calvin on Saturday, with a spot in the Final Four in San Antonio on the line. The Garnet will begin play Friday at 5 p.m. from Pittsburgh.

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