HAVERFORD, Pa. — The No. 23 Haverford College field hockey team (10-1, 4-0 CC) earned a historic 2-0 victory over Ursinus (4-7, 0-4 CC) on Wednesday night at Swan Field. The win marked the Fords' first-ever triumph over the Bears in program history and continued their best start to a season, extending their win streak to seven — matching the second-longest in school history.
After three scoreless quarters, Haverford broke through in the final frame with goals from Louisa Coughlin and Naomi York to secure the milestone victory.
The opening quarter saw both defenses stand tall as the teams traded chances. Haverford generated two penalty corners, both taken by Abigail Trapp at 7:15 and 10:05, but Ursinus goalkeeper Adriana Palladinetti came up with key saves on efforts from Alice Stein and Holly Vincent to keep the game scoreless.
The defensive battle continued into the second quarter. Ursinus forward Marie Brainard tested the Fords' back line with a series of attempts — two sailing wide and another blocked — while the Bears earned a dangerous penalty corner in the 18th minute that ultimately came up empty.
Both teams continued to grind in the third quarter. Ursinus earned three penalty corners, all inserted by Kirsten Johnson, but Haverford's defense, anchored by Steph Ionescu in goal, held firm. The Bears' best chances came from Rachel Fosbenner and Rachel Buono, but both were turned away by the Scarlet and Black defense, sending the game into the fourth still deadlocked at 0-0.
The Fords finally found the breakthrough in the 51st minute when Coughlin buried a penalty stroke, firing high to the left of Palladinetti for her fifth goal of the season. With the Bears pressing late, Haverford sealed the win in the final seconds.
Following a saved shot by Vincent, York pounced on the rebound and poked home her ninth goal of the year to give the Fords an insurance tally and the decisive 2-0 victory.
Coughlin recorded the game-winning goal and finished with two shots, while York added a goal on her lone attempt. Ionescu earned her fourth shutout of the year, making two saves in 60 minutes of action. Stein also created consistent pressure, firing three shots on goal.
For Ursinus, Brainard led the way offensively with four shots, while Buono placed both of her attempts on target. Palladinetti was busy in the cage, stopping six of the eight shots she faced.
The Fords will return to action on Saturday, October 11, when they travel to Gettysburg for the fifth Centennial Conference matchup of the season. The game is set for a 1 p.m. start.
