CHESTERTOWN, Md. – Returning to the site of a dramatic overtime victory in the first round of the 2017 Centennial Conference playoffs, the Haverford College field hockey team found things a bit easier in a 3-1 victory over host Washington College on Wednesday afternoon. The Fords (6-5, 2-4 CC) positioned themselves to stay in the thick of the Centennial Conference playoff race with the victory over the Shorewomen (4-9, 4-3 CC), on an unseasonably warm late afternoon on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
Washington College got on the scoreboard first with a ninth minute tally. The Shorewomen converted a corner opportunity, with Claire Ingersoll redirecting a shot in from Nicole Schroyer for her third goal of the season.
Sensing the importance of the contest, Haverford called for timeout immediately following the score, and the stoppage worked to their advantage as the Fords scored on the very next shot opportunity in the 10th minute. Paige Powell found Ariana Sulpizio down low for the equalizer, as the sophomore extended her team lead in goals to five on the season. Powell chipped in her first helper of the season.
The scoreboard would read 1-1 at the end of the first 35 minutes of action. A sustained Haverford attack fired nine shots in the first stanza while the defense was stout, allowing just four shots. The two sides were even in corners at the break while Hannah Roth and Morgan Domanico were each called into action to make a save each.
The second half tempo belonged to the Fords as Powell gave Haverford the game-winning goal with a 37th minute strike on a one-on-one opportunity against Domanico. Powell stole a clearing pass from the Shorewomen defense and was able to whisk her way behind enemy lines for the score. The Fords added an insurance goal in the 56th minute as Caroline Aronowitz scored her first of the season, grabbing the redirection of Roxy Vassighi's blocked shot attempt and hammering home from the top of the circle as the corner offense proved to be a powerful factor yet again for Haverford.
The shot total finished 18-9 in favor of the visitors while the Fords also held a slight seven to six advantage in corners. Roth rejected a pair of Washington College shots in the second frame, notching all 70 minutes between the pipes to pick up her sixth win of the season. Domanico corralled four saves in a losing effort.
Powell was a big part of the Haverford attack with five shots, including three on frame. Vassighi also added five shot attempts.
Haverford took the upper hand in the all-time series with the victory, as the Fords now own a 16-15-2 advantage against the Shorewomen. The Fords have won three of the last four overall meetings between the two programs, including the last two meetings in Chestertown.
The Fords continue the chase for the Centennial Conference tournament on Sunday, October 14 with another trip to the Old Line State. The Fords will take on McDaniel at 1 p.m. in Westminster, Md.