HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College field hockey team has been picked to finish sixth in the Centennial Conference in 2026, according to the conference's preseason poll released Thursday morning.
The Fords will look to once again return to the Centennial Conference Tournament in 2026 after qualifying for the fourth time in the past five seasons last fall. Last season. Haverford climbed as high as No. 16 in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division III National Coaches Poll during the 2025 campaign, its highest national ranking since 2012.
Defending Centennial Conference champion Johns Hopkins claimed the top spot with 99 points and nine first-place votes. Franklin & Marshall was selected second with 85 points and two first-place votes, followed by Dickinson (79 points), Swarthmore (75), Ursinus (62), and Haverford (61). Bryn Mawr (46 points), Gettysburg (39), Muhlenberg (24), Washington College (24), and McDaniel (11) rounded out the preseason poll.
Leading the way offensively will be senior Erica Pardón, who enjoyed an impressive campaign in 2025. Pardón earned Second-team All-Centennial Conference and NFHCA All-Region V Second Team honors after leading Haverford with 26 points, tied for fifth in the Centennial Conference. She also paced the Fords with 10 assists, tied for second in the conference, while adding eight goals.
In goal, junior Steph Ionescu returns after anchoring one of the Centennial Conference's top defensive units a season ago. A Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Week and two-time NFHCA Division III Defensive Player of the Week Honorable Mention in 2025, Ionescu started all 20 contests for the Scarlet and Black in between the posts. She helped lead Haverford to seven shutouts while allowing just 22 goals on the season, the second-fewest in the Centennial Conference. Ionescu also finished second in the conference with a 1.05 goals-against average and a .809 save percentage while recording six shutouts, the third-most in the Centennial.
Haverford opens the 2026 season on Tuesday, September 1, when the Fords welcome Lebanon Valley to Swan Field for a 7 p.m. contest.
Fans are encouraged to keep up with HaverfordAthletics.com and follow @HCFords_Sports on X for the latest schedule updates and competition news.
