FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — The No. 25 Haverford College women's lacrosse team (4-3) dropped a tightly contested 10–9 decision to Mary Washington (4-4) on Saturday afternoon at the Battleground Athletic Complex on the campus of the University of Mary Washington. The Fords raced out to an early advantage with five goals in the opening quarter, but the Eagles responded with a six-goal second period to seize momentum. Despite three player-up goals and a late push from the Scarlet and Black, Mary Washington's defense held firm in the closing minutes to secure the narrow victory.
Mikelle Smith paced the Haverford offense with a standout performance, totaling six points on two goals and four assists. Daniela Martini added three goals on five shots, including two player-up tallies, while Brooke Epstein finished with a goal and an assist. Epstein and Kylie McNamara each controlled three draws for the Fords. Defensively, Lauren Anderson caused a season-high four turnovers while collecting a game-high six ground balls. In goal, Ella Salvador and Shaina Lewis split time, with Salvador making three saves and Lewis adding two stops.
Haverford wasted little time establishing control in the first quarter. Sophie Jaffe opened the scoring at the 13:43 mark off an assist from Epstein, and Martini followed with a player-up goal at 12:10 set up by Smith. Mary Washington answered with tallies from Molly Ryan Gates and Anna Dube to briefly even the score, but the Fords regained momentum midway through the quarter. Kalli Mullen converted a free-position opportunity at 6:23 before Smith found the back of the net at 5:43. Martini capped the opening period with another player-up strike at 3:07, giving Haverford a 5–2 lead after one.
The Eagles surged back in the second quarter with a flurry of offense. Ashley Firesheets began the rally with a player-up goal at 13:49, and Abigail Fisher followed with back-to-back goals to erase the deficit. Martini briefly halted the run with a goal assisted by Smith at 2:41, but additional tallies from Firesheets and Gates helped Mary Washington carry an 8–6 lead into halftime.
The Scarlet and Black continued to battle in the third quarter. Epstein capitalized on a player-up opportunity at 12:03 off another Smith assist to trim the margin to one. Mary Washington countered with a free-position goal from Firesheets at 6:52, but Smith responded with a goal in the final minute of the quarter to keep Haverford within striking distance heading into the final frame.
Defensive pressure defined the fourth quarter as both teams fought for the decisive edge. Anderson helped anchor the Haverford defense with multiple caused turnovers and key ground balls early in the period. Bella Gattuso later brought the Fords within one with a goal at 11:46, setting up a tense finish. However, Mary Washington goalkeeper Cece Van Blenis made several crucial saves down the stretch, including stops on a free-position attempt by Epstein and another shot by Mullen in the final minutes. Haverford had one last opportunity as time expired, but a final attempt from McNamara sailed just wide as the Eagles held on for the 10–9 win.
The Fords will look to bounce back on Wednesday, March 18, when they travel to Grantham, Pa. to take on No. 17 Messiah. Opening draw is scheduled for 4 p.m.
