HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College field hockey team was defeated by No. 5 Franklin & Marshall on Saturday by a final tally of 2-0. In defeat, Haverford moves to 5-7 overall and 1-4 in the Centennial Conference. Franklin & Marshall improves to 9-2 and 6-0 in Centennial play with the win. Haverford goalkeeper Danielle Rette had another strong effort in goal, with 11 saves on the day. Natalie Leslie extended her Centennial conference lead to 11 defensive saves with an early first half stop on a Diplomats shot.
The Fords and Diplomats played to an even 0-0 halftime score, with the first half characterized by some great defense by the hosts. In the 10th minute of action, Melanie Consiglio fired a trio of shots, with Rette making two saves and the third shot sailing just wide of the goal mouth ending the threat.
Haverford drew penalty corners in the 22nd and 24th minutes, but saw the opportunities go without a goal as Paige Powell had a shot blocked and Alissa Valentine's attempt was saved by Diplomats goalkeeper Ilianna Santangelo. Nicole Witte also saw her attempt sail wide of the cage. A last-ditch corner by Franklin & Marshall before the half went fruitless as Mel Gula's shot was blocked in the circle by a Fords defender.
Haverford trailed 10-3 in shots and was out cornered 6-2 in the first half, but Rette's five saves and some great backline play kept the score even going into intermission.
Rette picked up where she left off in the second, saving a pair of attempts in the 42nd and 43rd minute. In the 46th minute, following a penalty corner from the Diplomats, Franklin & Marshall scored its first of the contest. Melanie Consiglio saw her attempt saved by Rette but Erin Coverdale was able to scoop up a rebound and score her first of the season. A penalty corner in the 48th minute was played around in the circle before finding the stick of Gula, who fed Consiglio for a 2-0 lead with her eighth strike of the season, prompting a Haverford timeout.
The Fords came out of the break with renewed exuberance, and had perhaps their best scoring chance of the day in the 64th minute. The Fords, in the midst of their fourth penalty corner opportunity of the half, had Casey Wakai again insert the ball into the circle. Mason McNulty fired a shot that Santangelo was forced to make a leaping save on, before Lucy Tortolani had a chance of her own that was saved, representing the last shot of the day for the Fords.
Haverford was outshot 19-17 in total, but fired four shots in the second half and drew five corners. McNulty and Valentine led the offense with two shots each. Consiglio had seven shots for the Diplomats while Coverdale added five and Gula four. Santangelo made four saves.
Haverford will next be in action on Friday, October 14 as the Fords travel to Baltimore for a 6 p.m. contest with Johns Hopkins under the lights.