HAVERFORD, Pa. – Haverford (4-5, 0-1 CC) pushed No. 8 Franklin & Marshall (6-1, 1-0 CC) deep into double overtime before the Diplomats escaped Swan Field with a heartbreaking 2-1 victory in the Centennial Conference opener Saturday afternoon.
The Fords erased an early deficit behind Reese Dewhirst's first goal of the season and received a stellar performance in the cage from Lindsey Darby, who turned aside a career-high 10 shots to keep Haverford level through 70 minutes.
Franklin & Marshall struck just 2:20 into the contest. Caitlin Hoover redirected a service from Sarah Weitzman into the circle, lifting the ball up and over Darby to give the Diplomats an early 1-0 advantage.
Darby helped ensure the deficit remained at one despite continued pressure from the visitors. The Haverford goalkeeper made three saves in the opening quarter, including consecutive stops on Hannah Fitzgerald in the seventh minute, before denying Fitzgerald again with less than two minutes remaining in the period.
Haverford began to find its attacking rhythm in the second quarter. Louisa Coughlin forced Franklin & Marshall goalkeeper Meghan Dole into a save just 36 seconds into the period before Erica Pardón tested Dole in the 21st minute. The Fords finished the quarter with five shots after being held without an attempt during the opening 15 minutes.
The Scarlet and Black carried that momentum into the second half and found the equalizer in the 38th minute. Following a Haverford penalty corner, Pardón sent an attempt toward cage that popped into the air after deflecting off Dole's blocker. Alice Stein helped keep the play alive, finding Dewhirst, who capitalized on the second-chance opportunity and buried the ball into the back of the cage at 37:39 for her first collegiate goal, pulling the Fords even at 1-1.
Haverford continued to press after the tying goal, generating four additional penalty corners over the remainder of the third quarter. Lily Gover and Pardón each put attempts on cage during the surge, but Dole kept the contest deadlocked heading into the final 15 minutes.
Neither side could find the go-ahead tally in the fourth. Darby came up with another important stop on Hoover in the 55th minute, while Haverford generated a late opportunity of its own. Gover had an attempt blocked with just over a minute remaining before Pardón sent a shot wide following a penalty corner with 50 seconds left, sending the contest to overtime.
Darby was sensational during the first overtime period as Franklin & Marshall generated four shots. She denied Hoover at 62:18 before turning aside Caroline Krisko following a penalty corner at 65:55. Haverford nearly found the winner at the other end when Pardón put a shot on cage at 68:07, but Dole made the save. Darby then stopped Fitzgerald with 1:24 remaining to force a second overtime.
The second overtime lasted just 36 seconds. Hoover unleashed a laser of a backhand into the cage at 70:36 for her second goal of the afternoon, bringing the back-and-forth contest to a sudden end.
Franklin & Marshall finished with a narrow 17-14 advantage in shots, while the teams were even with eight penalty corners apiece. Haverford put seven attempts on cage, led by Pardón's four shots on goal. Gover and Coughlin each added three total attempts for the Fords.
Darby's 10-save performance marked a career high, surpassing the seven saves she recorded in Thursday's 2-1 victory over Stockton. Dole finished with six saves for the Diplomats.
The Fords continue Centennial Conference play Wednesday, Sept. 30, hosting Muhlenberg at Swan Field. Game time is slated for 7 p.m.
