Field Hockey Opens Offensive Floodgates in 7-3 Triumph over Washington College

Roxy Vassighi
Roxy Vassighi
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HAVERFORD, Pa. - After heavy rain washed out any thought of a Wednesday contest on Swan Field, the floodgates opened for the Haverford offense during Thursday afternoon's rescheduled game. The Fords (7-6, 1-5 CC) poured on seven goals in a 7-3 victory over visiting Washington College (3-8, 2-4 CC). Junior attacker Roxy Vassighi had an incredible game offensively, adding a pair of goals and four assists to her ledger. Vassighi took over the team lead in points (17) with the outburst. 

Vassighi's four assists are the most in program single-match history. First year Dalia Bercow also registered a hat trick, tacking on three goals in the triumph. Bercow now has five goals on the season. 

At the final buzzer, Haverford held a 22-15 shot advantage in the offensive battle. The Fords also took home a 9-5 advantage in penalty corners. Sunny Truslow picked up her fourth victory of the season, making six saves in 60 minutes of action.

Washington College opened the scoring in the sixth minute as Kyra Heap took a feed from Kailyn Brandt and hammered home her first goal of the year. The Fords looked destined to chase the game from that point, with the makings of another close defensive battle on the horizon after the first quarter.

The barrage then started for the homestanding Fords, putting away any thought of a defensive standoff. Vassighi unleashed a powerful shot from the top of the circle with the first salvo of the second quarter, tying the contest at 1-1. After the Fords were awarded a penalty corner in the 20th minute, Haverford unleashed a pair of strikes as Vassighi placed a well-timed pass down low, finding Bercow for a 2-1 lead. On Haverford's very next possession, Caroline Aronowitz sent a long pass into Ravenel Davis, who tapped one past the Washington College keeper for a 3-1 advantage in just the 21st minute of action. 

The Fords took that same 3-1 lead into the intermission, but it was senior Rylee Fennell there to add insurance to open the third as she redirected a shot attempt by Vassighi from the top of the circle and tipped in the attempt for a 4-1 advantage in the 32nd minute. Another Haverford penalty corner gave Vassighi and Bercow a chance to shine again as Vassighi found Bercow down low in front of the goal and Bercow tipped the Vassighi attempt into the back of the cage for a 5-1 advantage just seconds later. The pair teamed up one final time in the 37th minute, with Vassighi feeding Bercow for her third of the contest and a 6-1 lead. Finally, Vassighi added an unassisted strike from the top of the circle in the 41st minute, extending the lead to six at 7-1. 

A pair of Washington College goals brought the Shorewomen back to within four, as Heap and Kylie Weiss both scored in the waning moments of the contest, but Haverford was able to cruise to victory in a pivotal Centennial Conference matchup. 

Haverford has won three straight over Washington dating back to an overtime victory on Halloween night in the first round of the Centennial Conference tournament in 2017. The Fords own the edge in the all-time series, 18-15-2. 

Haverford will now continue the homestand on Saturday, October 19 welcoming McDaniel (2-9, 0-6 CC) to Swan Field for a 1 p.m. first pass.