HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College men's soccer team (7-7-1, 4-3-0 CC) fell to No. 17 Franklin & Marshall (11-2-1, 4-2-1 CC) on Wednesday at Walton Field by a score of 2-1. In a tough battle, the Fords were stunned by an early overtime goal from the Diplomats.
The tempo of the game was fast-paced from the very first whistle. F&M in particular looked to put pressure on Haverford with a swift press. After winning the ball early, Steven Yakita of F&M fired a shot just 41 seconds in, but it would drift wide of frame. Not too long after, in the 2nd minute, the Diplomats earned their first corner kick. Shay Adamson curled the ball into a crowded six-yard box, making it difficult for goalkeeper Dylan Ioffreda to make a clean catch. The ball would eventually drop to A.J. Kopacz, who headed it into the back of the net.
The visitor goal seemed to spark the Fords as they were on the front foot for much of the first half. The team created chances with quick passing between the midfield and forwards. The first glimpse of an equalizer came in the 28th minute when Noah Schwab struck the ball with his left foot, only to be denied by the post.
The Fords next opportunity came in the 32nd minute from Andrew Stephens, but his shot on goal was saved. Stephens then had another crack at the net a minute later when Paul-Andre Coulibaly slipped a beautiful pass behind the Diplomats' backline. This time, Stephens placed the ball right over the opposing keeper's right shoulder, leveling the game at one apiece with his second goal of the season.
The action would die down a little, but the game remained physical, and both teams knew they were in for a battle in the second half.
The real action of the second half came when Alex Millones' header attempt went high over the crossbar in the 54th minute. F&M matched that effort in the 55th minute with a chance of their own that deflected off the crossbar. The defense for Haverford and Ioffreda had their work cut out for them as the sophomore made an acrobatic save in the 61st minute to keep things level at 1-1. Max Mouer then blocked the very next attempt on the rebound.
As tired legs started to impact both teams, each squad made a bulk of substitutions to get fresh legs into the game, as the rest of the half would be physical. The teams were able to fire off a few more chances, but none could bring the game to a close. Overtime was on the horizon.
In the overtime minutes, it didn't take long for the game to get its final goal. Just a minute into the period, the Diplomats were able to sneak the ball into the box, where Yakita slipped a ball to Kopacz, who slotted it home for his second goal of the game.
Ioffreda finished the game with four total saves. Millones and Stephens each fired three shots for Haverford.
The Fords return to action on Saturday at Gettysburg with a 4 p.m kick off. Haverford then goes again for Senior Day at Walton Field Saturday, October 30, against rival Swarthmore at 3 p.m.