BALTIMORE, Md. – The fifth-seeded Haverford College field hockey team (14–6) dropped a heartbreaking 1-0 decision to top-seeded Johns Hopkins (18–1) in the semifinals of the Centennial Conference Tournament on Thursday evening at Homewood Field. The appearance marked the Fords' first trip to the conference semifinals since 2017.
Johns Hopkins struck for the game's lone goal in the first quarter following a penalty corner at the 6:28 mark. After the insert, Haverford goalkeeper Steph Ionescu made back-to-back saves on attempts from Ada Farmer and Megan Chang, but Chang collected the rebound and lifted a backhanded shot over the defense and into the cage for her ninth goal of the season, giving the Blue Jays a 1-0 edge. However, Ionescu added another key stop minutes later on a close-range chance from Grace Waldeck, helping the Fords keep the deficit at one heading into the second quarter.
Haverford's first shot on goal came midway through the third quarter when Alice Stein fired a dangerous attempt toward the far post at 32:48, but Blue Jays goalkeeper Aubrey Kilgore kicked it away to preserve the lead.
Momentum shifted toward the Scarlet and Black in the fourth quarter as the Fords pushed hard for the equalizer. Their best early look came at the 47:12 mark when Holly Vincent ripped a shot off a penalty corner that beat Kilgore, but defender Emi Hakutani positioned herself on the goal line to block the attempt and deny the tying goal. Haverford then generated two more chances within 20 seconds, as Erica Pardón had a shot blocked at 51:18, and Kilgore made a kick save on a backhanded attempt from Lily Gover at 51:31.
Johns Hopkins threatened moments later at the opposite end, with Chang's effort blocked before the ball rolled across the crease to An Tran, whose shot struck the side netting. Despite sustained pressure in the closing minutes, No. 16 Haverford was unable to break through, as No. 2 Johns Hopkins held on for the 1-0 victory.
Gover, Stein, and Vincent all recorded shots on goal for the Fords, while Ionescu finished with four saves on five shots faced. As for the hosts, Farmer and Chang led the Blue Jays with two shots each, and Kilgore made two saves to secure the shutout.
Haverford will await the results of conference tournaments across the country to see if it has earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament. The NCAA Division III selection show will air Sunday at 9 p.m. on NCAA.com.
