HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College field hockey team (9-2, 2-2 CC) continued its standout 2021 season with a 1-0 victory over No. 18 Franklin & Marshall (4-5, 0-3 CC) on Wednesday evening at Swan Field.
The Fords dominated the offensive rhythm of the contest, firing off 13 shots while allowing just seven from the Diplomats. Haverford earned 14 penalty corners while allowing just seven from the visitors. A stout defensive effort kept the Diplomats at bay with Caroline Channell making a trio of big defensive saves to back the effort of Hannah Roth, who made five saves of her own as the Fords backline proved to be a stalwart presence for the hosts.
Roth was tested early, with Carolina Riley getting an early look on goal and again firing on frame at the end of the first quarter, but Haverford went on the offensive to begin the second. In that stretch, a flurry of Haverford attempts on frame included a shot on goal from Rebecca Donahue and salvos from Ravenel Davis, Delaney Snowden, and Olivia Ahart that were blocked in the circle.
On the other end of the field, it was Maddie Bickel and Kat Horsley creating chances for the visitors in a tense back-and-forth battle. Sophia Mercado and Davis then tallied shots on frame in the waning minutes before halftime, with Channell also testing the Diplomats keeper in the first half.
The Fords finally broke through in the fourth quarter, with Ravenel Davis finding the back of the cage off a penalty corner in the 48th minute. The assist went to Channell, as she found Davis on the far corner as the senior captains connected. Davis tallied her 14th goal of the season with the strike. She now has 30 points on the year. Through just the first 11 games, Davis is already eighth in the program's single-season history in points and goals, while her current blazing pace ranks second in program history in points per game (2.23).
With the opening goal in hand, Haverford ramped up the defensive pressure, with Roth making a pair of saves in the 54th minute before a flurry of unsuccessful corners from the Diplomats in the final moments. Ultimately, the last few seconds ticked off the Swan Field scoreboard with the Fords earning their fourth shutout of the season, and the second over a ranked opponent.
The victory was Haverford's first over Franklin & Marshall, the defending national-runner up, since the 2010 season. The Fords have now beaten ranked opponents twice in one season for the first time since the 2012 team opened the season with wins over No. 18 Rowan and No. 16 Lebanon Valley, eventually earning a spot in the Centennial Conference championship game.
The Fords now return to action with a road contest in Carlisle, Pa. on Saturday afternoon. Haverford and Dickinson will face off at noon in another Centennial Conference test.