SWARTHMORE, Pa. - The 22nd-ranked Haverford College women's lacrosse team (11-3, 6-1 CC) continued their winning ways against rival Swarthmore (8-5, 3-4 CC), winning 18-12 to secure its sixth straight win and a place in the Centennial Conference Tournament. Roma Hladky was sensational, recording a seven-goal performance to lead the way for the Fords. Sarah Cahn performed well in the cage with eleven saves and a 47.8% save percentage on the afternoon.
Hladky, the reigning Centennial Conference Player of the Week, continues to impress in what very well may be an All-Conference season for the senior. After scoring seven goals in the afternoon contest, her goal total rose to 54. After starting the day ranked outside the top-20, Hladky currently ranks 12th on the all-time list for goals in a season with two games remaining in the regular season.
Kat Ference has also been essential for the Fords this season. The senior registered two assists in the matchup with the Garnet, her lowest assist total in two weeks. However, her impact remains the same. With the two assists, she moved up to second on the season's total list, only behind the remarkable 64 assists by Julia Manetta in 2019.
Getting out to fast starts has been the Fords' M.O. this season. Haverford put eight goals on the board before Swarthmore scored with twelve seconds remaining in the opening period. cruising to an early lead on the road yet again. Ference scored at the 12:41 mark, and Jordan Denaver scored less than 30 seconds later. After that, the flood gates opened with a quick hat-trick from Hladky and goals from Callie Crawford, Hannah Lopez, and Julia Curran.
It was all Swarthmore in the second period, almost as if to return the favor. Haverford scored the first two goals thanks to Ference and Hladky, but the Garnet answered with five unanswered goals to close out the period. The halftime score sat at 10-6 in favor of Haverford, but Swarthmore had all the momentum going into the intermission. In just the second period, the Fords were outshot 11-6 and lost the battle on draw controls 5-3.
The third period was back and forth, but Haverford got the better of the Garnet, scoring four goals compared to the host's three in the frame. Swarthmore got back within two goals before three unanswered goals from Crawford and Hladky combined gave the Fords a five-goal advantage going into the final period.
The Fords took complete control of the game and carried the third-period momentum into the fourth, clamping down defensively while adding some much-needed insurance goals. Haverford scored four times and completely shut down the Garnet until the four-minute mark. Crawford and Hladky again spearheaded the run as Curran and Ference contributed goals of their own in the stretch. At the end of the game, Swarthmore's three goals were just consolation in a contest that showed the Fords' ability to stay composed during crucial moments.
Crawford finished the game with four goals, while Ference finished with three. Denaver led the way for the Fords with six ground balls and two caused turnovers. Kate Severtson, the usual defensive force for Haverford, scooped up four ground balls and caused two turnovers of her own. Sarah Cahn stopped 11 shots in her sixty minutes in goal, picking up her 11th victory of the season.
The Fords picked up a crucial Hood Trophy tally, and now trail the Garnet by two points (8.5 to 6.5) with just softball and men's and women's outdoor track & field yet to be decided.
Haverford will return home Wednesday, April 27, for its inaugural Pride Night at Swan Field. The Fords will look to defend their home turf and six-game win streak against Ursinus, with the first draw scheduled for 7 p.m.