GETTYSBURG, Pa. - The 22nd-ranked Haverford College women's lacrosse team (12-5, 7-3 CC) took on No. 4 ranked Franklin & Marshall (16-2, 9-1 CC) in the Centennial Conference semifinals on Saturday in Gettysburg. Haverford entered the contest as the No. 3 seed, while the Diplomats entered as the No. 2 seed. Unfortunately, the Fords fell just short of a trip to the championship game by a final score of 11-9.
The first period started with Hannah Lopez scoring off a feed from Katharine Ference at the 12:06 mark. Sarah Cahn made several key saves in the early minutes, but F&M took a 2-1 lead behind goals from Marissa McGarrey and Ally Marino. F&M added another goal before Lopez again pulled one back at the 1:44 mark. McGarrey scored another goal in the final minute as the assist went to Gillian Brennan. As if it were deja vu, the first period ended with the Diplomats leading 4-2, just like it did a week ago when these two teams met at Swan Field.
Callie Crawford kicked off the second period with a goal at the 13:53 mark, cutting into the F&M lead. Then, at the 8:16 mark, Sam Silverman took things into her own hands, creating a lane to cut through to fire a shot past the goalie's right to even the score at four-all.
Things quieted down due to the high-pressure defense from both teams; it took four minutes before the next goal was scored by either side. That goal came from Ference as the Fords took the lead for the second time in the contest. The Fords extended their lead once Silverman, after a few trips, got back to her feet and rocketed a shot into the cage, giving Haverford momentum before halftime.
Draw controls were crucial for the Fords in the second period. Three straight draw control wins allowed Haverford to control the game's pace. The Diplomats would finally get their first goal of the second period when Maddy Birch scored after taking advantage of a Haverford turnover in the middle of the field. However, momentum started to slip away for the team in black after F&M evened the score at six with one minute remaining in the half. The half's final seconds saw F&M take the lead after beating the halftime buzzer.
The Fords got back on track with a goal from Ference in the opening minute to tie the game back up. Ference continued to dominate the third period as she scored her third goal and second of the period at the 6:44 mark. The defense swarmed F&M for most of the period, causing multiple turnovers that led to scoring opportunities. Haverford extended their scoring run to three goals after Callie Crawford found the back of the net in a solo effort. The Fords kept the Diplomats scoreless in the third period thanks to a big defensive stop by Kate Severtson in the final seconds.
A costly mistake from Haverford in the opening seconds of the fourth allowed F&M back into the game as Marino scored for the Diplomats at the 14:37 mark. The Diplomats then tied the game at the 11:11 mark, making for an exciting final ten minutes. Haverford did a great job of holding off F&M behind Cahn's stellar performance. With five minutes remaining in the game, the senior recorded eight saves and was needed as the Fords looked to eliminate the No. 4 team in the nation.
Madison Bray of F&M had other plans as she gave her team the lead at the 3:39 mark. Haverford controlled the draw immediately following that goal with their eyes on leveling the score. Still, Haverford would lose control of the ball, giving late possession back to the Diplomats. F&M moved the ball around after a timeout and eventually scored to take a two-goal lead, solidifying a place in the final.
Maria Krieg played outstanding on defense, scooping up three ground balls and shutting down the Diplomats on multiple occasions. Ference led the way with three goals, and Lopez, Silverman, and Crawford scored two each.
Franklin & Marshall now advances to Saturday's CC final with top-seeded Gettysburg (1 p.m.) with the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament on the line. The postseason remains up in the air for the Fords as they will wait to see if they earn an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament. The team is currently ranked sixth in the region and 22nd in the nation, with all five losses on the season coming to ranked opponents. The selection show is slated for Monday, May 9 at 10:30 a.m. on NCAA.com.