COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. - The 17th-ranked Haverford College field hockey team (13-3, 6-3 CC) fell to No. 14 Ursinus (12-4, 7-2 CC) on Wednesday night in a matchup of ranked Centennial squads at Snell Field. The Fords recorded seven penalty corners and fired eight shots, but Ursinus tallied twice in the final quarter to come away with the home victory.
The Fords had a strong scoring chance in just the third minute of action, as Delaney Snowden sent a screaming shot on cage that Ursinus goalkeeper Jordan Ulsh made a diving save to deny. Reigning National Defensive Player of the Week Hannah Roth made a stoppage of her own in the 13th minute as the two teams went into the second quarter in a scoreless draw.
In that second period, neither side got a shot off as the teams headed into the halftime intermission deadlocked despite periods of offensive momentum for both sides. The third quarter was much more eventful, with five penalty corners as Ursinus earned four of those attempts. The Haverford backline again proved to be a force, blocking the Ursinus salvos off penalty corners while Roth made a 38th minute save and notched another in the 43rd.
After Dalia Bercow sent a shot on frame in the 48th minute and Ravenel Davis fired wide in the 50th minute, it was Ursinus who got on the scoreboard first in the 52nd of action. Jamie Mayer saw her shot saved by Roth, but the rebound found the stick of Ellie Bruggerman who fired the opening tally past Roth, with Mayer picking up the assist. Roth made another heroic stoppage in the 54th, but Jordan Moore extended the lead to 2-0 with her 11th goal of the season in the 55th.
Fervently trying to get back into the contest, Haverford looked strong on the offensive, routinely getting into the attacking third in the waning moments as the Fords tallied shots on frame in the 56th, 57th and 58th minute. Ulsh made saves on attempts from Snowden and Davis before the Ursinus defense blocked a last-ditch effort from Davis in the 59th.
Davis fired a game-high four shots, putting two of those attempts on frame. Roth made five saves while Ulsh made five of her own to pick up her 12th victory of the season.
Haverford, assured of a trip to the Centennial Conference tournament, will clinch a bye into the Centennial Conference semifinals with a win over Hood Trophy rival Swarthmore on Senior Day at Swan Field. The contest is slated to begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 30.