Centennial Conference Tournament Central
HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College field hockey team begins its third consecutive postseason journey on Tuesday, October 31 at 7 p.m. as the Fords travel to Chestertown, Md. to take on the host Washington College in the Centennial Conference Tournament first round game. Haverford will enter the contest with a 10-7 overall record (5-5 CC) while Dickinson is 9-8 overall (6-4 CC).
The two sides met on October 11, as the Fords were edged in overtime at Swan Field, 3-2. Haverford received goals from Elena Veale and Mason McNulty in the loss, outshooting the Shorewomen by a total of 16 to 10 and holding a 12 to 10 advantage in penalty corners.
Haverford is making its eighth appearance in the Centennial Conference tournament and its third-straight trip to postseason action. Haverford has made two trips to the Centennial Conference Final under head coach Jackie Cox, with the last trip coming in 2012. Haverford will be searching for its first trip to the NCAA tournament.
The all-time series between the two sides is deadlocked at 15-15-2. Playing at home gives no separation to the Shorewomen of Washington College as the series is also locked at 7-7-1 all-time in Chestertown.
In recent history, Haverford took a 1-0 overtime victory at Swan Field during the 2016 season, clinching a playoff berth in the process. Washington College won the last matchup in Chestertown, a 2-0 win on home turf in 2015. Haverford last won at Washington College in 2013, a 5-3 victory. The two sides last met in the Centennial Conference Tournament first round game in 2011, a 3-2 win for the Fords on Swan Field.
Haverford won its last Halloween contest, a 4-2 decision over Swarthmore in 2015. This will be the first postseason game played in the month of October in program history.
The Fords come into the contest on a four-game overall win streak, fending off elimination after a stretch of six straight losses in the middle part of the campaign. A 3-2 win over Dickinson a week ago set the tone for a 2-0 week with wins over Bryn Mawr and rival Swarthmore, as results aligned allowing the Fords to clinch a postseason berth.
Haverford's offensive production has relied on juniors Mason McNulty and Paige Powell on the forward line, as the duo has combined for 15 of the Fords' 39 total goals. The overall attack is well rounded with 14 different players finding the back of the cage in 2017. Seniors Elena Veale and Stephanie Terrell each have three goals on the season and figure to be amongst the main offensive weapons on penalty corner opportunities.
Sophomore Rachel Gordon has been a presence in the circle with a team-high five assists while fellow sophomores Lucy Tortolani and Casey Wakai are always goal scoring threats. First year players Roxy Vassighi, Leela Krishnan and Kelsey Chai have all seen meaningful offensive opportunities.
Krishnan, Caroline Aronowitz, Jolie Brakey and Malin Ehrsam are among those who have contributed consistently to a stifling defensive effort that is holding opponents to just 1.52 goals per contest.
In goal, reigning conference Defensive Player of the Week senior Danielle Rette has been stellar in the follow-up to an All-Centennial season a year ago. On the season, Rette has tallied a Centennial-best five shutouts in 17 total starts. She has maintained a goals against average of 1.54, the third best mark in the Centennial. She has stopped 88 total shots, good for sixth in the conference.
At the end of the regular season of her senior campaign, Rette sits in fifth place all-time amongst Haverford goalkeepers with a 1.68 goals against average. Her 20 career wins in sixth-most in Haverford history and her 5.32 saves per game is ninth-best in the history of the program.
For Washington College, first year Kailyn Brandt has anchored the offense with nine total goals and six assists while fellow first year Grace Steele has added seven goals. Junior Emily Pantazes has tallied seven times. Morgan Domanico has seen the lion's share of time between the pipes, holding opponents to a 1.95 GAA and making all 17 starts. Domanico has stopped 117 shots this season.
The winner of Tuesday's first round contest advances to play top-seeded Johns Hopkins in the first of two semifinals on Friday afternoon on Homewood Field in Baltimore, Md. Game time is slated for 12:30 p.m. The seocnd semifinal matchup pits No. 13 Franklin & Marshall and Ursinus against each other on neutral turf.
A live video stream of all conference tournament action will be available on the Centennial Conference Digital Network via CentennialConference.tv