HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College field hockey team is set for a date at Swarthmore in the first round of the Centennial Conference Tournament on Tuesday. Haverford is making its 12th all-time appearance in the tournament and its second in as many seasons. First pass is slated for 7 p.m. under the lights of Clothier Field.
The Fords will look to even the season series with the Garnet after falling in the regular-season matchup last Wednesday. Haverford started the season 12-1, with a program-high nine-match win streak before dropping its final four conference games.
The Fords, ranked No. 19 in the latest NFHCA poll, got back on track with a convincing win over Ithaca in a non-conference matchup Saturday afternoon on Swan Field.
Fords Files
Haverford field hockey enters the Centennial Conference Tournament with momentum after a 13-5 regular season and a 6-4 mark in CC play. The Fords feature a balanced offense that has outscored opponents 40-21 while averaging over two goals per game. Naomi York leads the team with 11 goals and four game-winners, while Erica Pardón matches her team-best 24 points with seven goals and a conference-leading 10 assists. Alice Stein (9g) and Louisa Coughlin (7g, 3-for-3 on penalty strokes) add additional scoring punch.
Defensively, goalkeeper Steph Ionescu has been a steady presence with an .808 save percentage and five shutouts, anchoring a unit that has held opponents to just 1.14 goals per game this season.
Scouting the Garnet
Swarthmore field hockey enters the Centennial Conference Tournament following a 10-8 regular season, including a strong 7-3 mark in conference play. The Garnet have excelled in tight defensive battles, recording eight shutouts while allowing just 1.47 goals per game.
Annika Hoyer leads the balanced offense with nine goals and four game-winners, while Liza Semenenko (5g, 6a) and Magdalena Jordan (5g, 4a) provide consistent play-making support. Amelia Landry has added six goals, and Sarah Cooper contributes on both ends with three goals and a team high in defensive saves.
Goalkeeper Cassandra Conklin has anchored the back line with 62 saves and an eight-shutout campaign, helping Swarthmore outshoot opponents 258-145 this season.
Postseason History
Field hockey has made 11 Centennial Conference Tournament appearances, most recently in 2024, and 18 postseason trips overall dating back to 1982. The program's modern playoff era began with five straight Centennial berths from 2009-13, highlighted by a run to the 2012 championship game after a semifinal win over Gettysburg.
The Fords also reached the conference semifinals in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017, with three of those seasons featuring overtime postseason contests. Prior to joining the Centennial, Haverford competed in the Middle Atlantic Conference, advancing as far as the 1990 semifinals. The program also earned ECAC bids in 1983 and 1984, finishing as runner-up in the latter.
Across more than four decades of postseason history, Haverford has built a tradition of consistency and late-season success.
Up Next
With a victory, the Fords would travel to either top-seeded Johns Hopkins or second-seeded Franklin & Marshall on Thursday, depending on the result of the Ursinus–Dickinson matchup.
With an Ursinus win, the Fords would travel to F&M for a 7 p.m. start. With a Dickinson victory, the Fords would head to Baltimore for a 5 p.m. matchup with the top-seeded Blue Jays.
Follow the Fords
Haverford fans wishing to follow the action throughout postseason play should bookmark the Centennial Conference Digital Network and be sure to follow @HCFords_Sports on X (formerly Twitter) and @HCFordsSports on Instagram.
