HAVERFORD, Pa. – Unbeaten in its last five matches, the Haverford College men's soccer team opens the Centennial Conference Tournament on Tuesday, Nov. 3, traveling to Ursinus for a 7 p.m. first-round matchup at Patterson Field.
The fifth-seeded Fords enter at 13-3-2 overall and 5-3-1 in Centennial play. Fourth-seeded Ursinus finished the regular season at 8-7-2 with an identical conference record, earning the right to host after winning the teams' September meeting under the lights.
Haverford is making its second consecutive Centennial Conference Tournament appearance and 11th overall. The Fords have won four conference championships, most recently in 2018, and will look to advance after last season's first-round appearance ended in a penalty shootout against Muhlenberg.
A Look at the Fords
Haverford has gone 4-0-1 over its last five matches, outscoring opponents 10-2 during that stretch. Victories over Manhattanville, McDaniel, Muhlenberg and Franklin & Marshall preceded Saturday's 1-1 draw at Swarthmore, with the Fords recording three consecutive shutouts before the regular-season finale.
Senior Thomas Vanni scored his eighth goal of the season against the Garnet, finishing a play assisted by Austin Branch and Charles Sharp. Junior goalkeeper Grayson Benson made five saves to help Haverford secure the road draw.
Sharp leads the Centennial with 13 goals and 31 points, adding five assists during his sophomore campaign. His five game-winning goals rank third nationally in the NCAA statistical update through Nov. 1, while he stands 19th in total goals and 20th in total points. Sharp scored in five consecutive matches before contributing an assist at Swarthmore.
Vanni has supplied eight goals and four assists for 20 points, ranking second in the conference in points and third in goals. Together, Sharp and Vanni have accounted for 21 of Haverford's 38 goals and hold the top two spots in the Centennial in shots per game.
The Fords have also received contributions throughout the lineup. Jonathan D'Amour has three goals and an assist, while Josh Brown and Connor Gustafson each have two goals and two assists. John Dowd has contributed a goal and four assists, and Carter Kroenke has added a goal and three assists. Chase D'Antonio has scored twice, while Aaron Park has supplied three assists. Haverford leads the conference in scoring offense at 2.11 goals per game, shots at 18.28 per game and corner kicks at six per contest.
DE-FENSE, DE-FENSE!
Haverford enters the postseason with 11 team shutouts and just 11 goals allowed through 18 matches. The Fords lead the Centennial in team goals-against average at 0.61 and shutout percentage at .611, ranking 15th and seventh nationally, respectively. Benson has recorded nine individual shutouts, tied for fourth in Division III, along with 41 saves and an 11-3-2 record. His 0.645 goals-against average and .804 save percentage both lead the conference.
Gustafson, Brown, Kroenke and Max McKinney have started all 18 matches, providing continuity for a group that has limited opponents to 8.8 shots per game. Gustafson leads Haverford's field players with 1,607 minutes, followed by Brown with 1,580. Will Ossmann has also contributed in goal, earning two victories and allowing one goal in 196:31 of action.
The Regular Season Meeting
Ursinus won the Sept. 30 meeting at Patterson Field, scoring three second-half goals after the teams entered halftime scoreless. Matthew McFadden opened the scoring with a penalty kick in the 56th minute. Nicholas Grippa added a second goal shortly afterward, converting the rebound after Benson stopped another penalty attempt. Ryan O'Neill completed the scoring in the 80th minute. Haverford held a 4-2 advantage in first-half shots, but Ursinus finished with a 13-9 edge overall. Benson made four saves.
Bear Banter
Ursinus is making its first Centennial Conference Tournament appearance after matching the program record with five conference victories. First-year Joseph Kmetz leads the Bears with six goals and three assists for 15 points. McFadden has four goals and three assists, while Grippa has contributed four goals and an assist. Senior goalkeeper Josiah Moore has recorded 60 saves, six shutouts and a 1.23 goals-against average.
Series Update
The Fords hold a 22-7-2 advantage in the series since the Centennial began play in 1993, although Ursinus has won the last two meetings at Patterson Field.
Tournament Rundown
Tuesday's winner advances to the semifinals Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. If third-seeded Swarthmore defeats sixth-seeded Muhlenberg, the Haverford-Ursinus winner will visit top-seeded Johns Hopkins. A Muhlenberg victory would send the winner to second-seeded Dickinson. The championship game is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 8, at the highest remaining seed.
Tickets
Tickets are available through the Centennial Conference's Hudl ticketing page. Students, faculty and staff from Centennial Conference institutions receive free admission, as do children ages 5 and younger.
Follow the Fords
Fans can follow the Fords throughout the Centennial Conference playoffs on the Centennial Conference Digital Network. Live coverage is available at CentennialConference.TV on desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile devices, as well as through the CC Digital Network app and streaming apps for Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Android TV.
