GETTYSBURG, Pa. – First-year Alyssa Saito picked the perfect day to score her first career goal as her 74th minute tally paved the way for the Haverford College women's soccer team to notch a 1-0 shutout victory over host Gettysburg on Saturday afternoon. The Fords (10-1-1, 4-0-1 CC) are now unbeaten over their last 11 matches. In the process, Haverford handed the Bullets (9-1, 4-1 CC) their first loss of the season. The Bullets came into the match ranked No. 25 in the D3Soccer.com national poll while the Fords were receiving votes in that same release.
Shots were at a premium for both sides as the two teams combined for just 13 shots on the afternoon, with each putting three on target. Saito made the most of her opportunity as she collected the possession and was dribbling towards the middle of the field with a defender to beat. Changing directions on a dime, Saito shook her defender and buried her shot into the upper 90 for the lone tally of the afternoon.
Haverford's defense limited the host Bullets to just eight shot attempts, with Hannah Friedrich easily corralling the three shots that were on target. Friedrich made two of her three saves in the second half, but all Gettysburg could manage on the offensive end after the Fords took a 1-0 advantage was a shot that missed wide during the 78th minute of play. The Bullets finished the contest with a 4-2 edge in corner kicks, but the Fords did not surrender any of those opportunities once they had the lead.
The Fords are now 10-0-1 in their last 11 matches to tie for the fourth-longest unbeaten streak in program history. The last time Haverford went this long without a defeat was when the Fords were unbeaten in 12 straight during the 2013 season.
With today's victory, the Fords now have 13 points in Centennial Conference play through their first five matches. That total is good enough for third place overall. However, McDaniel (5-1 CC, 15 points) and Dickinson (4-0-2 CC, 14 points) both have played one more match than the Fords to date. Haverford will meet both the Green Terror and Red Devils later this month.
Women's soccer will be back at home for a pair of Centennial Conference contests this week. Up first, the Fords will host Washington College this Wednesday in a 4 p.m. start on Walton Field. Haverford will also be home on Saturday, October 19 for a 12 p.m. noon start against first-place McDaniel.