SWARTHMORE, Pa. – Playoff hopes dimmed, but weren't extinguished Saturday afternoon as the Haverford College men's lacrosse team lost a heart-breaking, 10-9, triple-overtime Centennial Conference game against host Swarthmore College.
Haverford falls to 3-4 in the conference and 5-8 overall while Swarthmore improves to 2-5 and 5-9.
The Fords trail McDaniel College (4-3 CC) by a game but defeated the Green Terror earlier in the regular season. Both teams have one league game remaining. Franklin & Marshall College (4-4 CC) is a half game ahead of the Fords, but Haverford defeated the Diplomats in a head-to-head match-up so if the Fords and Dips -- whose conference slate is complete -- end up in a tie, Haverford would gain the tie-break edge, as it would if the Green Terror and Fords end up with the same conference record.
Saturday's outing at Swarthmore got off to a slow start for Haverford which fell behind by four early in the second period. Phillip Valliant, Jake Maldonado and Henry Lanier scored goals in the final eight minutes of the period to allow the Fords to trail by only two, 6-4, entering the halftime break.
Swarthmore opened the third period with a goal not even two minutes in, but Haverford began to rally as Geoff Geppert scored back-to-back goals then in the early minutes of the fourth, Maldonado was able to notch his second of the day to bring the Fords all the way back to a 7-7 tie.
The Garnet answered with a goal but Christian Clay and Geppert scored consecutive tallies to forge Haverford's first lead of the day, 9-8, with 7:25 remaining in the fourth period.
Nintey-one seconds from defeat, however, Swarthmore scored the equalizer to eventually send the game into overtime.
Both the first and second overtime periods were dominated by the Fords who were able to reel off a total of nine shots while not allowing even one by the hosts. Haverford got off the first shot of the third overtime but it was the second shot of the period, this one by Swarthmore's Steve Selverian, that found the back of the net to end the classic game between the two rivals.
Geppert's three goals led the Fords on the attack with Maldonado adding a pair.
On defense, both Dillon Hamill and Scott Chanelli finished with three caused turnovers apiece while Clay picked up seven ground balls. Faceoff specialist John Schipper, who went 10-for-19 at the center dot, snared nine ground balls.
Goalie Joe Banno registered eight saves in the loss. Swarthmore's Michael Brockway finished with 13 saves to earn the win between the pipes for the home team.
Haverford travels to Allentown, Pa., to square off against Muhlenberg College (2-10, 0-6 CC) on Sat., April 28 in the regular season finale for both schools.