Postgame Press Conference - NCAA First Round
SALISBURY, Md. - The 19th-ranked Haverford College women's lacrosse team (15-5) defeated St. Mary's (Md.) (10-8) by a score of 18-10 in the First Round of the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Tournament at Sea Gull Stadium in Salisbury on Saturday afternoon. The victory marks a historic milestone for the program — setting a new single-season record with 15 wins and earning the first NCAA Tournament win in program history.
Junior Brooke Epstein led a dynamic Haverford offense with a game-high five goals, tallying five points in total. The attacker's fourth goal of the day marked her 200th career point, becoming the ninth player in program history to reach that milestone. Bella Gattuso and Ellie Hughes each added hat-tricks, with Gattuso also contributing an assist for a four-point outing. Kylie McNamara (two goals, one assist) and Daniela Martini (one goal, two assists) also finished with three points apiece for the Fords.
Tiffany Mikulis added three draw controls, bringing her season total to 69 while appearing in her 70th career contest, a new Haverford program record for games played. Defensively, Finley Jordan matched the program's single-game record with six caused turnovers, and Mikulis collected a game-high six ground balls. In goal, Annie Bravacos stopped five of 11 shots to earn her 15th win of the season, also a new program single-season record for goalie wins. Bravacos finished the day with 308 career saves. Eva Baumann reached the 100 ground balls milestone with three on Saturday.
Haverford opened the scoring just 1:25 into the game and quickly built a 2-0 lead following a free-position goal by McNamara with 7:20 left in the first quarter. Hughes extended the lead to 3-0 at the 4:56 mark before Hailey Betch put St. Mary's on the board. The Fords responded with goals from Epstein (player-up), Gattuso, and McNamara again to close out the first quarter with a commanding 6-1 lead.
The momentum continued in the second quarter. Hughes found the back of the net early, followed by two more goals from Epstein to make it 9-1. Epstein's fourth goal, off a free position, pushed the lead to 10-1 with under five minutes to go in the half. Betch answered with back-to-back goals to cut the lead to 10-3, but Epstein scored her fifth goal moments later — her 200th career point — to halt the run. Gattuso added her second goal with 54 seconds left in the half, sending Haverford into the break up 12-3.
St. Mary's opened the third quarter scoring with a free-position goal by Colin Horton, but Gattuso completed her hat-trick soon after to restore the nine-goal cushion. Baynes added a fifth for the Seahawks, only for Hughes to respond and complete her fourth hat trick of the season. Martini's first goal of the game made it 15-5, briefly triggering running clock before Horton added her second of the day to close the quarter at 15-6.
Baynes trimmed the lead to 15-7 just 28 seconds into the fourth quarter, and Horton followed with her third to make it 15-8. Kylie Kearon ended the Seahawks' 3-0 run with a free-position goal, and Sophie Jaffe capitalized on a player-up opportunity to extend the lead to 17-8. Katelin Scala scored for St. Mary's with just under six minutes to play, followed by a goal from Madison Laine that brought the Seahawks within seven at 17-10. Louisa Coughlin capped the scoring with a free-position goal, sealing the 18-10 win for the Fords.
The 19th-ranked Fords now advance to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, May 11, where they will face No. 7 Salisbury at 1 p.m. at Sea Gull Stadium in Salisbury, Md. A live stream will be available via NCAA Champs Pass.
