SWARTHMORE, Pa. – The 23rd-ranked Franklin & Marshall men's soccer team toppled No. 13 Swarthmore in a nationally-ranked matchup on Saturday where both teams entered the day unbeaten on the season. In the end, the game-winning goal was delivered by Connor Anderko on a penalty kick that was awarded with 5:44 remaining on regulation after the referee called a hand ball in the box on the host Garnet.
Anderko's goal capped a day in which the Diplomats had the upper hand in chances as they registered a 22-8 advantage in shots and 5-2 edge in corner kicks. Those totals included 15 second half shots from Franklin & Marshall.
The two nationally-ranked teams were scoreless after 45 minutes of game action despite the Diplomats holding a 7-2 advantage in shots during the first half. F&M's pressure was even stronger to start the second half as it took four shots during the first eight-plus minutes of the second half before Adam Green was able to finally crack the Swarthmore defense with his first goal of the season. Green is now one of 11 Diplomats with a goal this season and has points during three of his last four matches as he is also leading the team with three assists from earlier in the year.
Swarthmore made the most of its limited second half opportunities during the 66th minute when Len Yamabe finished the game-tying goal on a pass from Kaito Hikino. Now locked in another tie, Franklin & Marshall was certainly not content to settle for a tie as the Diplomats fired off nine shots during the final 27 minutes of regulation time.
That persistence of pressure was rewarded during the 85th minute when the hosts were whistled for the aforementioned hand ball in the box. With the golden opportunity, Anderko buried that chance for his third career goal, making him a perfect two-for-two on penalty kicks throughout his career. With the lead now in F&M's hands, the Garnet were held without a shot during that remaining time as an offsides call with under a minute to play halted Swarthmore's only offensive attack on F&M's half of the field during the final five minutes.
Now undefeated through its first nine matches of the season, the men's soccer will return home to Tylus Field for a pair of Centennial Conference matchups this coming week. Those contests start Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Ursinus before F&M welcomes McDaniel to town at 3 p.m. on Saturday as a part of the College's True Blue Weekend.
