COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Haverford College men's soccer team (2-9-5, 0-5-2 CC) suffered a late defeat to Ursinus (7-5-2, 1-5-1 CC) on a crisp autumn evening at Patterson Field on Wednesday.
Thomas Vanni initiated the attack for the Fords early on, but Ursinus goalkeeper Zach Matik denied his early shot on frame. In the seventh minute, the Bears had their own strong chance, as Luke Luehrs sent a powerful header toward the net. The menacing header gained pace but ricocheted off the crossbar, keeping the game scoreless.
In the 28th minute, Aidan Rodriguez had a golden opportunity for Haverford when he broke past the backline and angled a shot toward goal. The shot beat Matik but deflected off the post and went out of play.
Jason Lotkowski broke the deadlock in the 34th minute. Following a long throw-in into the box, A.J. Torres directed a header toward the back post. Lotkowski fired a shot that rolled over the goal line, giving Ursinus a 1-0 lead. Jackson Simon made one more save for Haverford in the 41st minute, sending Ursinus into halftime up by a narrow 1-0 margin.
In the 51st minute, Rodriguez continued to trouble the Ursinus defense, unleashing a left-footed shot from the top of the box that Matik parried out of play. On the ensuing corner, Andrew Fritz headed in a curling cross from Thomas Vanni, leveling the score at 1-1 with his third goal of the season, and first of October.
Both teams traded shots throughout the second half, with Simon and Matik making critical saves to keep the match level as the intensity ratcheted up. However, in the 82nd minute, Ursinus found fortune with a bizarre goal. After a failed clearance by Haverford, Declan Curran rifled a shot from outside the 18-yard box. The shot deflected off a falling Jack Schmidt and spun into the net, giving the Bears a 2-1 lead.
That unusual goal proved to be the game-winner, as Ursinus held on for the 2-1 victory. The Bears outshot the Fords 14-11 on the evening, with Gabe Knopf leading Haverford with three shots. Vanni contributed two shots, both on target. In goal, Simon turned away four shots while facing several dangerous opportunities from Ursinus.
Following the midweek clash, Haverford will return home for Senior Day on Walton Field against the No. 17 Johns Hopkins Blue Jays on Saturday, October 26, at 3 p.m. A pregame ceremony will honor the seniors of the Haverford men's soccer team prior to kickoff.
