Match # 1 vs. RCD Espanyol

The Swarthmore women had their first match of the trip on August 10 versus RCD Espanyol. The game took place at RCD Espanyol's facility in Barcelona, and it kicked off shortly after 5:00pm.

The Garnet women played strong defense throughout the match, fending off multiple attempts from Espanyol's attacking players. Espanyol came on strong at the beginning of the game, demanding standout performances from the Swarthmore defenders and goalkeepers.

In the fifth minute of the game, Elyse Tierney tracked back on a threatening run down the line by an Espanyol attacker. She was able to clear the ball safely out of bounds. On the ensuing corner, fellow rising senior and captain Ellen Bachmanhuff came up with a strong header clearance to keep the ball way from the Garnet net.

Several minutes later, rising junior goalkeeper Reba Magier made several key saves, preventing the Espanyol shots from converting. She would go on to make several additional saves over the course of the first half. She saved one off the cross bar early, and had another impressive diving save later in the half.

Offensively, the Swarthmore women were able to generate several successful combinations down the sides of the field. One such combination was created between midfielders Melissa Trofa and Caroline Khanna. They worked the ball past several Espanyol players to feed it through to Rehana Omardeen, who made a run in behind the defense. Unfortunately, the weight of the pass was slightly too strong, and Omardeen was unable to track it down before it went out of bounds.

The play went back and forth throughout the first half, but neither team was able to get onto the scoreboard. The two teams entered halftime at a scoreless draw.

The second half brought much of the same, exciting back and forth action. The Garnet offense generated more scoring opportunities after the half mark. Several plays involved balls played deftly through to forwards running on. Great runs by Hannah Lichtenstein, Mele Johnson, and Becca Mayeda forced the Espanyol defense to make several strong stops.

The Garnet defense continued to shut down Espanyol attack. Caela Long, who tended the goal for the Garnet in the second half, came up with several key saves, with one huge diving stop at the end of the half to preserve the 0-0 tie. 

The Garnet women were pleased to be back on the pitch together, and the team was happy with its overall performance. RCD Espanyol was one of the pioneering clubs in women's soccer in Spain, playing as early as 1970. They are now considered to be one of the top women's clubs in Spain, behind FC Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao. Given their strength as a club, they provided prime competition for the Garnet women to gauge their training heading into preseason.

The Swarthmore Women return to action tonight against VIC. Kickoff is slated for 7:00pm.