HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College field hockey team (5-3), earned a 1-0 victory over visiting DeSales (2-5) on Wednesday evening at Swan Field, concluding a four-match homestand in style.
Anna Bradley scored in the opening moments of the fourth quarter for the contest's lone goal while first year Lindsey Darby made nine saves in her first career start between the pipes, logging a shutout.
Naomi York wasted no time getting a shot on frame, as she rocketed an attempt on target in the second minute of action. Darby was called into action to make a pair of saves in the 10th minute, denying Maddie Trocki and then also stopping the redirection from Miranda Szymborski just seconds later. Haverford earned a trio of early penalty corners, but the first period ended without a goal from either side.
Abigail Trapp and Holly Vincent each had strong shot attempts to begin the second, and Darby did her part on the other end, denying Trocki again in the 27th minute, before also notching a save on Alexis Moler's shot in the 28th minute as the two sides headed to intermission with the score knotted at zeroes.
The Fords began the third with a flurry after a penalty corner from Erica Pardón. Vincent and Pardón had looks on cage, but Kayla Yeatman made a pair of saves to keep the game scoreless. DeSales earned a penalty corner in the 45th minute, but Catie McGrath had her shot blocked by a swarming Haverford defense.
Amy Kim was awarded a penalty corner in the 47th minute, but the attempt did not lead to a Haverford goal. Naomi York was in perfect position to intercept a DeSales pass in transition, dribbling into the circle and delivering a well-timed pass across the goal mouth from the near post, where Bradley was waiting in front of the cage. Bradley dove for the pass, and slotted a sliding shot past the lunging Yeatman for her fifth of the season.
Bradley and Louisa Coughlin each had shots saved just moments later, as Haverford had the momentum and was looking to double its lead. Trocki connected on a shot on goal in the 52nd, and mere seconds later, Darby withstood a barrage, making three saves in quick succession to keep the shutout intact.
Darby made her final save of the night in the 57th minute, denying Allison Devlin, and the Fords were able to defend a pair of late DeSales corner attempts to preserve the win.
Each team fired 14 shots on the night, with Haverford holding a slight 9-7 edge in penalty corners. DeSales added five of its seven corner attempts in the final period. Trocki and Benner of DeSales joined Bradley as the only players with multiple shots on goal.
The victory was the third consecutive one-goal win over DeSales, as Haverford was a 2-1 winner over the Bulldogs in overtime a season ago. Haverford is back to Centennial Conference competition on Saturday, September 30, heading on the road to take on Gettysburg at 1 p.m.