SCRANTON, Pa. — The Haverford College (1-1) women's lacrosse team dropped a Saturday afternoon contest to No. 25 Scranton (2-2) by a final score of 13-8 on Weiss Field. The Fords surged for five goals in the second quarter, including one player-up tally, but were unable to sustain that momentum down the stretch. The Royals capitalized on their opportunities late, using a five-goal fourth quarter to pull away and secure the victory.
Brooke Epstein led Haverford with three goals and one assist while adding four draw controls. Mikelle Smith scored twice, including one player-up goal, and secured three draw controls. Kylie McNamara contributed two goals and one assist. Defensively, Louisa Coughlin scooped up a team-high four ground balls and caused one turnover, while Finley Jordan added three ground balls and one caused turnover. In goal, Ella Salvador recorded 10 saves on 23 shots faced.
Jillian Lopez paced Scranton with seven goals on 10 shots, placing nine attempts on goal. Her performance included two free-position goals and one player-down tally. Eileen Hewitt added three goals and one assist, including the game-winning score. Eva Guerino finished with eight saves on 25 shots faced.
The opening quarter began with McNamara securing the draw control, leading to Epstein's goal at 14:07. Scranton answered at 9:19 as Lopez converted off an assist from Paul. Hewitt gave the Royals the lead at 6:29 before Lopez struck again at 4:53 in a player-up situation. Lopez completed her first-quarter hat trick with a goal at 3:07, giving Scranton a 4-1 advantage after one.
Haverford responded in the second quarter. McNamara scored at 14:19 off a feed from Daniela Martini to make it 4-2. Epstein followed with another tally to pull the Fords within one, and Smith tied the game at 4-4 with a player-up goal at 7:24, assisted by McNamara. Smith then gave Haverford its first lead of the afternoon with her second goal. Scranton countered at 5:10 as Colleen Mullin scored off an assist from Allyson Flynn to even the contest. McNamara netted her second goal with 2:51 remaining, but Lopez answered with a free-position goal with one second left in the half, sending the teams into the break tied at 6-6.
Lopez opened the third-quarter scoring with a free-position goal at 13:22 to put Scranton ahead 7-6. The Scarlet and Black responded quickly, as Epstein scored at 12:28 to tie the game at 7-7. Haverford regained the lead at 8:49 when Coughlin found the back of the net to make it 8-7. Scranton answered late in the period, as Lopez converted a player-up goal at 1:21 off an assist from Paul, tying the game at 8-8 heading into the fourth.
The decisive 5-0 fourth quarter began with Hewitt's goal at 12:24. Grace DiDominica extended the lead off an assist from Jessica McCabe. Despite several Haverford opportunities — including a shot turned aside by Guerino — Scranton continued to convert, as McCabe and Lopez each added goals. Hewitt capped the scoring with her final tally at 3:57, sealing the 13-8 result.
The No. 18 Fords will face a quick turnaround, remaining in Scranton, Pa., to face Marywood on Sunday, March 1. Opening draw is set for 2 p.m.
