LANCASTER, Pa. – The Haverford College field hockey team (7-1, 1-0 CC) earned a statement Centennial Conference victory on Saturday, edging No. 16 Franklin & Marshall (6-2, 0-1 CC) 3–2 at Tylus Field. In a matchup defined by defensive resilience and second-half execution, the Fords leaned on goalkeeper Steph Ionescu's 10-save performance and capitalized on key penalty corner opportunities to secure their best eight-game start to a season since 2021.
The win carried historic weight for the program. Head coach Jackie Cox notched her 150th career victory, and Haverford made further history by defeating three nationally ranked teams in the same season for the first time in the poll era, having already toppled No. 12 SUNY Cortland and No. 12 Rowan earlier in September.
The first quarter set the tone for the defensive battle. Franklin & Marshall pressed immediately, drawing penalty corners that tested Haverford's structure. Ionescu came up big early, stonewalling Caitlin Hoover in the opening minutes, while the post denied Erica Pardón on the other end. Despite sustained pressure from the Diplomats, Haverford's back line stayed disciplined in their corner defense, turning away multiple attempts and keeping the game scoreless after 15 minutes.
Franklin & Marshall broke through in the second quarter when Hoover, who has established herself as one of the league's most dangerous forwards, buried a finish at 20:35 off a feed from Hannah Fitzgerald. Haverford's response was swift. Just five minutes later, senior midfielder Louisa Coughlin converted a penalty stroke, her third goal of the season, to level the score.
Momentum swung Haverford's way in the third. Off a perfectly executed penalty corner, senior defender Abigail Trapp served a ball that found Naomi York, who blasted home her sixth goal of the season at 33:05. York, who has emerged as one of the Centennial's most prolific scorers, gave the Fords a 2–1 advantage. Franklin & Marshall continued to generate circle entries, but Ionescu's anticipation and quick reflexes denied Hoover and Isabelle Allen on consecutive chances.
Early in the fourth, Haverford extended the lead to 3–1 when rookie forward Alice Stein buried her sixth goal of the campaign off a redirection, tying for the team lead in the category. Pardón nearly added insurance with two sharp-angle attempts, but Franklin & Marshall goalkeeper Meghan Dole kept her side in it. The Diplomats closed the gap with Hoover's second goal of the day at 54:11, this time assisted by Megan Dadio on a penalty corner insert. Despite the late surge and multiple fouls that slowed the pace of the offenses, Haverford's back line held firm, with Ionescu turning aside the final push to preserve the 3-2 victory.
Statistically, Haverford's efficiency on Saturday told the story: three goals on just six shots on target, compared to Franklin & Marshall's two goals on 12. Hoover was relentless with 11 attempts and seven on goal, but Ionescu's double-digit saves blunted the impact of her offensive volume.
Next, Haverford travels to Allentown on September 30 for a Tuesday night matchup at Muhlenberg College, where the Fords will look to extend their unbeaten run to five and further cement themselves as one of the Centennial's forces in 2025.
