#13 Swarthmore 2, Stockton 1

Butch Huff

Boxscore
Richard Stockton (10-3) played well but fell short in its upset bid as 13th-ranked Swarthmore (10-1) edged the Ospreys 2-1. Butch Huff (Toms River/TR North) scored his fourth goal of the season and Stockton goalie Lou Herring (Freehold/Freehold) recorded five saves. The match was a fast-paced contest that featured chances by both teams as they combined for 31 shots, with Swarthmore holding a 19-12 advantage while the Ospreys attempted six corner kicks to Swarthmore’s three.

Stockton generated some chances in the first half, and the Ospreys were rewarded when Huff scored at 37:31 with an assist by Sean McCallum (Vineland/Vineland) on a perfectly executed restart. Sean Nelson (Toms River/TR South) began the play with a short pass to McCallum who beat one defender and fed Huff who had broken free from a crowd of players. Huff’s shot from 15 yards out sailed into the top right corner for a 1-0 lead.

Stockton appeared to take a 2-0 lead early in the second half, but an apparent goal was nullified because Rafael Duarte (Ocean City/Ocean City) in fact directed the ball into the net with his hand rather than his head. The Ospreys were within 17 minutes of a shutout win before Swarthmore broke through for the game-tying goal at 73:31. Ten minutes later, the Garnet scored the game-winner on a nifty passing play with just 6:21 remaining to defeat the Ospreys 2-1.