Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 3/29/23
From Press Release
Kicking off Centennial Conference play with a bang, the host Swarthmore men’s lacrosse team blitzed No. 18 Muhlenberg, 18-8, tonight.
Offensively, the Garnet was led by the Mabbs brothers, with junior Von Mabbs notching four goals and five assists, while first-year Rex Mabbs tallied four goals and two assists.
First-year Ryan Pretzer proved immovable in goal for Swarthmore, blocking out 16 saves while facing down 46 shots.
The Garnet is 8-1 with five straight wins. The Muhls (1-1, league) are 6-3 and had a four-game win streak snapped.
HOW IT HAPPENED
– While both squads struggled to score through the first half of the first quarter, Von Mabbs opened the floodgates seven minutes into the contest, sneaking a shot past the keeper for his first goal of the night. Mabbs’ goal sparked a Garnet run, with Swarthmore taking a 5-0 lead before the period was up.
– The Garnet extended their lead in the second quarter, finding the back of the net three more times thanks to strikes from Rex Mabbs and first-year Clay Almgren. While Muhlenberg was finally able to get on the board with 3:36 left to play in the half, Swarthmore responded with another dagger from Von Mabbs, stretching the Garnet advantage to 9-1. The Mules would score at the buzzer, making the scoreboard read 9-2 at the break.
– Trying to spark a run, the Mules scored twice to open the second half. However, the Garnet’s lethal offensive attack quickly squashed any hopes of a comeback, responding with two quick goals of their own to stretch their lead back out to 11-4. While Muhlenberg would find another goal less than a minute later, a Garnet barrage resulted in five more points for the Swarthmore, including a miraculous buzzer-beating lazer from junior Carter Strauch.
– Looking to put the game away early in the fourth, Von Mabbs notched his fourth goal of the night just two and a half minutes into the period, growing the Garnet’s lead to 17-5. While the Mules would score three more times in the final quarter, Swarthmore’s lead proved insurmountable, as the Garnet dominated their ranked Centennial opponent, 18-8.
