HAVERFORD, Pa. — The Haverford College men's soccer team (5-0-4) delivered a dominant performance on Tuesday afternoon, defeating Penn State Brandywine (1-7-0) 9-0 at Walton Field.
The victory marks Haverford's most goals and largest margin of victory since a 12-1 win over Villa Julie (now Stevenson) on September 6, 1997 in Baltimore. The victory also extends Haverford's unbeaten run to nine matches, keeping the Fords on pace with the 1977 squad that opened its season with a 10-game unbeaten streak.
The Fords fired off 44 shots while limiting the visitors to just one, scoring six times in the first half before adding three more in the second to complete the shutout.
The 44 shots were the second most in program history, and most since the Fords fired off the program-record 46 against Wagner in 1969.
Andrew Fritz opened the scoring for the Scarlet and Black in the 10th minute, one-timing a driven ball from Juan Rivera off a set piece for a brilliant finish. Kieran Kunihiro then doubled the lead in the 19th minute, pouncing on a rebound after a parried save by Nittany Lion goalkeeper Braden Warwick, while Jonathan D'Amour made it 3-0 in the 25th minute, heading home a Thomas Vanni corner kick. Aiden Lee struck next in the 34th minute, curling a shot into the upper 90 for his first goal of the season, before Jack Bonner closed the half in style, scoring twice in the 40th and 45th minutes, with Pavel Yurkov and Sho Nadata providing the assists, as Haverford carried a commanding 6-0 lead into halftime.
The scoring spree continued in the second half, as Charles Sharp scored his first-career goal in the 54th minute to extend the margin to 7-0. Aidan Rodriguez added his first goal of the season in the 76th minute, finishing off pass from Alex Kushnir following a sliding challenge in the '18. Nadata capped the night in the 85th minute with his first-career goal, sealing the emphatic 9-0 victory.
Fritz tallied the game-winner with his lone shot on target, while Bonner finished with two goals on three shots on goal. Sharp contributed a goal and an assist while leading the team with seven shots, including five on frame. Nadata also recorded a goal and an assist, taking three shots overall.
In goal, Grayson Benson and Simon Bank combined for a Centennial Conference-leading sixth shutout of the season while Benson maintained his personal shutout streak, notching the start between the pipes for his fifth consecutive scoreless appearance.
The contest served as Haverford's annual Play With Pride game, celebrating Haverford's LGBTQ+ community members, and supporting advocacy by and for the LGBTQ+ community in collegiate athletics.
Up next, the Fords will host Johns Hopkins at historic Walton Field on Saturday, September 27. The men's match kicks off at 12 p.m., followed by the Haverford women's soccer team taking on the Blue Jays at 3 p.m.
