HAVERFORD, Pa. — The Haverford College men's soccer team (9-0-8, 2-0-5 CC) and (RV) Muhlenberg (8-0-8, 3-0-4 CC) battled to a hard-fought scoreless draw on Wednesday afternoon at Walton Field. Despite Haverford recording 12 total shots, including two on goal, neither side was able to break through in a tightly contested Centennial Conference matchup.
The Fords' defense held firm throughout, as goalkeeper Grayson Benson made two key saves to secure his Centennial Conference-leading eighth shutout of the season. The Mules matched Haverford's intensity, tallying nine shots with two on frame, keeping the game on a knife's edge until the final whistle.
With the draw, Haverford officially set a new program record with 17 consecutive matches unbeaten, surpassing the 2015 squad that went 16 straight without a loss en route to an NCAA Tournament Elite 8 appearance, while also tying for the NCAA Division III lead in ties this season with eight.
The match began with both teams pushing forward in search of an early advantage. Muhlenberg's Jack Scuro tested Benson in the fourth minute, but the sophomore keeper handled the effort cleanly. Haverford created several first-half opportunities, including a blocked header from Josh Brown in the 16th minute and another high attempt from Brown in the 37th.
Muhlenberg responded with offensive pressure of their own, as Elie Khalil missed wide twice, while Owen Zoeller's header was calmly saved by Benson. Both defenses remained organized, and the first half closed at 0-0 following several fouls and offside calls.
The second half saw more of the same defensive discipline, with both sides searching for the elusive breakthrough. The Fords' best opportunity came in the 85th minute when Juan Rivera nearly caught Muhlenberg goalkeeper Ben Mulford off his line with a long-range attempt from midfield that narrowly missed the crossbar.
Moments later, Andrew Fritz's header in the 89th minute forced Mulford into a crucial save to preserve the deadlock. The Mules also threatened through Khalil and Saleem Diakite, who both saw efforts blocked by Haverford's back line. Ultimately, neither side could find the difference-maker as the contest ended scoreless.
Benson earned his eighth shutout of the year with two saves over 90 minutes of play. Fritz led the offensive effort with three shots, including one on target, while Brown added three more attempts.
For Muhlenberg, Mulford matched Benson's clean sheet with two saves of his own, maintaining his share of the Centennial Conference shutout lead. Khalil paced the Mules' attack with three shots, while Zoeller and Scuro each recorded one on goal.
Haverford will return to action on Saturday, October 25, when the Fords travel to Lancaster, Pa., to take on Franklin & Marshall. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Tylus Field.
