HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College men's lacrosse team (4-1) secured a hard-fought 8-7 victory over visiting Stockton (3-1) on Saturday afternoon at Swan Field, securing its first 4-1 start since the 2017 season.
Matt Richards led the way for the Fords, scoring two goals, and picking up six ground balls, while Jonathan Moon contributed a goal and three assists on the afternoon. Defensively, Sean McHugh registered two caused turnovers. Goalie Jacob Abraham was a crucial factor in the win, tallying 12 saves to keep the Ospreys at bay all afternoon long.
The Fords set the tone early as Richards opened the scoring at the 11:47 mark of the first quarter. Stockton quickly responded, tying the game before the end of the period. The second quarter saw Haverford take control, with goals from Will Weinstein, Moon, and Turner Elliott giving the hosts a tidy 4-1 advantage. However, Stockton responded with three goals of their own, tying the game at 4-4 heading into halftime.
Coming out of the break, the Fords regained momentum in the third quarter, with Tyler Vendetti, D'Andre Chaney, and Passalaqua finding the back of the net, giving Haverford a 7-4 advantage. After Stockton snuck in a goal with just 42 seconds left in third on the man-advantage, Richards started the fourth quarter off with a player-up goal, to give Haverford the 8-5 lead.
The Ospreys then scored two-straight tallies, first from Liam Humphrey, before a Robbie O'Brien goal with 31 seconds left put the visitors right on the Fords heels down by just one. However, a key defensive stand from Haverford shut the door on Stockton, as the Fords claimed a close 8-7 victory.
Haverford outshot Stockton 44-37 and won the faceoff battle 10-to-8. The Fords were also efficient in their clears, completing 23-of-27 attempts, while Stockton went 19-of-21. Haverford converted two of their man-up opportunities, while the Ospreys went 2-for-5.
Men's lacrosse will return to action one week from today, as the Fords will head out to Selinsgrove, Pa. for a non-conference tilt against the Susquehanna River Hawks of the Landmark Conference on Saturday, March 8, at 1 p.m.
