MILLTOWN – Saint Mark’s took advantage of a couple of corner kicks and a unique occurrence in the first half to build a lead it would not relinquish in a 3-1 win over St. Andrew’s in the quarterfinals of the DIAA Division II soccer tournament on Nov. 8 at the Graveyard. The Spartans return to the semifinals, which will be played on Nov. 12.
A good crowd was on hand for the prime-time tussle, the last of the four quarterfinals to be played that day. It included most of the St. Andrew’s student body, which stood loudly behind its Saints all night.
Neither team could get much going in the first 10 minutes until the Spartans earned their first corner kick. The inbounds pass went off the head of one Spartan to another, Luke Podolak (St. John the Beloved Parish), who headed the ball high past St. Andrew’s keeper Liam Wilson for the lead in the 10th minute.
The Saints had a few long free kicks and a corner, but they could not get anything on Spartans keeper Tom Swasey. Saint Mark’s made them pay in the 24th minute, taking advantage of another corner. This time, the first shot was stopped by Wilson, but Brayden Wrinn (St. Mary of the Assumption Parish) was there to bury the follow-up top shelf. Wrinn, a junior, was playing in his first game since Sept. 11 at Brandywine, when he suffered a shoulder injury.
Swasey’s biggest play in the first half came in the 34th. He lined up to take a free kick from about 45 yards out, as he normally does. This time, the sophomore lofted a shot that floated over Wilson’s outstretched arms, boosting the lead to 3-1. The goal prompted an eruption among the Saint Mark’s fans and a celebration on the sideline.
Swasey went back to his day job – stopping shots – later in the first, making a pair of saves as the Saints applied pressure. The game also got quite physical, although there were no cards issued.
The Spartans were called on to play more defense as the second half began. St. Andrew’s came out firing, with Swasey making one save and one of his defensive players getting another in the first three minutes. The momentum evened out as the half wore on.
St. Andrew’s avoided the shutout with a goal in the final two minutes of the contest.
Saint Mark’s (13-2-1) will play the 10th seed, Tower Hill, on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Caesar Rodney High School in Camden. The Hillers handed the Spartans one of their losses this season, a 3-2 overtime decision. Tickets are available at www.gofan.co/app/school/DIAA.
St. Andrew’s finished the season 12-5.
