HAVERFORD, Pa. - The third-seeded No. 19 Haverford College women's lacrosse team (14-4) opened up its Centennial Conference tournament run with a resounding 16-5 victory over sixth-seeded Swarthmore (10-7) on a beautiful Tuesday evening at Swan Field.
Haverford has now matched its most wins in program history, reaching the 14-win mark for the first time since the 1986 campaign that saw the Fords reach the NCAA Quarterfinals under the tutelage of Deb Gallagher.
From the opening whistle, the Fords asserted dominance on both ends of the field. After Saturday's regular season finale between the two teams was a close battle, the Fords ensured that the postseason rematch would be a different story.
Junior attacker Brooke Epstein was a standout, tallying five goals and two assists, spearheading a blistering 6–0 first quarter that stunned the Garnet early. Epstein's efforts were bolstered by a versatile offensive effort that saw six different Haverford players find the back of the net.
The Fords' tempo and momentum was evident early, with Daniela Martini opening the scoring just under two minutes in. Tiffany Mikulis followed with four goals of her own, while Bella Gattuso added a hat trick. Ellie Hughes proved instrumental, recording a game-high three assists.
By halftime, Haverford led 11–2, with the team converting on crisp clears and capitalizing on a bevy of Swarthmore turnovers. Though the Fords lost the draw control battle 18–5, their defensive pressure was on full display, highlighted by Eva Baumann's four caused turnovers and Annie Bravacos' 10 saves. Swarthmore committed 19 turnovers in the contest.
The third quarter saw Haverford secure the running clock with a 10-goal margin, triggered by Louisa Coughlin's tally with 9:33 remaining in regulation. From that point, the Fords rotated through lineups, with every healthy field player appearing in the game and goalkeepers Ella Salvador and Rachel Marlin taking turns in goal.
Swarthmore struggled to gain traction against Haverford's defensive swarm. Garnet attacker Isabela Bloomquist contributed a goal and two assists, but Swarthmore was limited to just two goals through the first three quarters. Haverford held an 18–15 advantage in ground balls, reflecting their effectiveness in 50/50 situations.
The Fords now advance to the Centennial Conference semifinals for the fifth consecutive season, where second-seeded and national No. 4 Gettysburg awaits. Action at Clark Field is slated for 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 1 and a live stream will be available via the Centennial Conference Digital Network.
