Sophomore Brittany Creighton (Pitman, NJ) scored the game-winner with just 3:53 left, lifting Widener to a 2-1 win over Swarthmore at Edith R. Dixon Field.
Freshman Samantha Balonis (Northumberland, PA) gained possession following a penalty corner and sent the ball across the circle, where it was deflected, and then batted out of the air and into the cage by Creighton for the go-ahead goal. The pair also connected for the game's first goal when Balonis assisted Creighton just 3:33 in.
After Swarthmore scored off the stick of Nia Jones to forge a 1-1 tie in the 10th minute, the game became a defensive battle with each team only registering four shots in the first half.
Widener began to take control early in the second half, recording the first 11 shots of the period, but the momentum swung a bit as the half wore on. Swarthmore drew all six of its penalty corners in the final 14 minutes of the game, five of which came in a span of just over three minutes. Widener's stingy defense was able to keep the game knotted at 1-1, and the Pride capitalized on the game's final penalty corner to take the lead for good.
Senior Megan Scarpinato (Sewell, NJ) finished with five shots for the Pride (2-0) and junior Colleen Cormier (Westampton, NJ) took four. Senior Megan Purcell (Perkasie, PA), who has allowed just one goal in 140 minutes of action this season, recorded the win with five saves.
Sophia Ferguson and Aarti Rao recorded assists on the lone goal for the Garnet (2-1).
Widener on Thursday travels to St. David's, PA to face Eastern at 4:00 pm.
