GETTYSBURG, Pa. — The Haverford College men's soccer team (4-0-4, 0-0-1 CC) and the Gettysburg Bullets (4-3-1, 0-0-1 CC) battled to a 0-0 draw in the Centennial Conference opener on Saturday afternoon at Clark Field. Haverford's defense stood tall, with goalkeeper Grayson Benson making six saves to preserve the clean sheet, while Gettysburg's back line and goalkeeper Sean Kennedy stopped all four shots on goal from the Fords.
The tie extends Haverford's unbeaten run to eight matches, keeping pace with the 1977 squad that opened its season with a 10-game unbeaten streak.
The first half was defined by early pressure from the Scarlet and Black, as Andrew Fritz fired off a shot just 27 seconds into the match. Haverford earned multiple corner kicks in the opening minutes, but Kennedy came up with a key stop in the ninth minute on a blistering shot from Thomas Vanni.
Benson was equally sharp in goal, denying Julius Rigo in the 19th minute and later making a terrific 35th-minute save on Noah Holgado to send the teams into halftime scoreless.
Vanni pressed to break through in the second half, forcing Kennedy into a save at 50:27 and testing the Bullets' defense with several more attempts. Aiden Lee added to the attack with chances of his own, but Gettysburg continued to hold firm. The Bullets nearly snatched the lead in the late stages, with Dylan Vengoechea denied by Benson in the 80th minute. Just three minutes from the final whistle, Sergio Neto unleashed a powerful volley from the top of the box, but Benson smothered the attempt cleanly to avoid a rebound opportunity. Neither side found the finishing touch, and the contest ended in a scoreless draw.
Benson finished with six saves to record his third shutout of the season. Vanni led the Fords' attack with six shots, four on frame, while Josh Brown chipped in with two attempts.
Kennedy anchored the Bullets' defense with four saves while facing 16 total shots. Holgado and Rigo were active in the attack, combining for five shots with three on target, while Neto also tested Benson with two dangerous efforts.
Looking ahead, the Scarlet and Black return to non-conference action on Tuesday, September 23, when they host Penn State Brandywine at 4:30 p.m. on Walton Field.
