HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College field hockey team (7-0) made a major statement on Saturday afternoon, topping No. 8 Rowan (2-2) by a 2-0 final at Swan Field. The Fords finished the non-conference slate unbeaten, with Centennial Conference action slated to begin next Saturday.
The victory was the first for the Fords against a ranked opponent since a win over No. 18 Alvernia to begin the 2017 season. The Fords recorded a win against a top 10 team in the NFHCA Poll for the first time since taking down No. 8 Eastern in October of 2010. Haverford's seven wins to start the season is the best start to any campaign in program history, and the seven consecutive victories is just one shy of matching the program's all-time record winning streak, set with eight straight wins from October 5 to October 22, 1990.
The groundwork for the momentous victory was set early as Haverford struck on its first offensive attempt of the second quarter, connecting in the 22nd minute. The Haverford offense, which had battled to get past the formidable back line of the Profs for much of the first stanza, got to work in the midfield with Amy Kim and Ravenel Davis pushing towards the attacking third.
After a Rowan foul, Olivia Ahart collected the restart and delivered a fantastic chopping pass into the circle for the waiting stick of Dalia Bercow. Bercow made a one-time cross-cage connection to a perfectly positioned Kim, who slotted home her second career goal, beating the goalkeeper towards the far post.
Rowan immediately went on the offensive for the equalizer, earning a pair of corners in the waning moments of the half and nearly finding the goal at the buzzer as Krystyna Hovell saw her shot attempt sail just wide of the cage.
Haverford was focused on finding an insurance goal fresh out of the halftime intermission, with Rowan again looking to knot the score. Instead it was the hosts who looked to have most of the offensive momentum in the final minutes of the frame, with the Fords earning consecutive penalty corners with just 1:03 to go in the third. Delaney Snowden found the back of the cage off a corner play, rocketing an attempt off a strong pass from Ahart to double up the Haverford advantage.
The Fords defense locked down in the final quarter, denying each of Rowan's five penalty corner attempts down the stretch. The effort was supplemented by a fantastic turn in goal from Hannah Roth as the senior stopped five shots, including four in the second half.
Bercow appeared to add the third Haverford goal of the contest after a flurry of activity in front of the cage with three minutes to go in regulation, but Melissa Donaldson made a last second defensive save to keep the ball from crossing the goal line. With offensive possession now well established, the Fords had enough to keep any thoughts of a last minute comeback from the Profs at bay.
Snowden's four shots on target paced the Fords while Bridget Guinan fired seven shots for the visitors, including two on target while Julia Patrone added four, including three on frame.
The Fords will next be in action on Saturday, September 25, opening up conference play at home against McDaniel. The contest is slated to begin at 1 p.m. on Swan Field.