GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa. – For the second straight game, it was a dominant second half that carried the Haverford College men's lacrosse team to victory. Trailing 4-0 at Gwynedd Mercy after the first period and 6-3 at the half, Haverford needed each goal of its second half comeback to overtake the Griffins, 10-9. The Fords (3-2) closed the victory by outscoring the Griffins (4-1) by a 3-0 margin in the final period to complete the comeback. Wednesday's road contest was the first meeting in program history between the two schools.
The non-conference contest started and finished as a game of runs as the Griffins jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead after the first 15 minutes. However, the Fords ultimately erased that lead with a shutdown period of their own at game's end. Haverford first cracked the scoreboard over two minutes into the second period when Paul Hackett scored his third goal of the season. Geoff Geppert also added a second period goal in unassisted fashion to help jump start the attack. Geppert also tallied with one second to play in the half off a feed from Jack Bodine, making the score 6-3 at the half. Geppert's second tally of the period came just 23 seconds after the hosts looked to be carrying a 6-2 lead into the break.
Starting out the third period, Bodine and Geppert switched roles as it was Bodine that scored his second goal of the year, cutting Gwynedd Mercy's lead to 6-4. Nevertheless, the Griffins answered and took a 7-4 lead just over one minute later. Undeterred, the Fords continued to chip away at the deficit. Midway through the third period, Haverford was successful in making the game a one goal difference.
In a span of just 25 seconds, the Fords scored two goals to bring the score to 7-6. Max Ellis scored his second goal of the season off an assist from Patrick Girard with 7:39 to play in the third. After a Griffin's faceoff violation, Bodine found the goal. His second goal of the afternoon came unassisted. Gwynedd Mercy answered the Haverford goals with a score just over a minute later.
The two sides traded goals in nearly a minute's span to close out the period. Evan Dorman scored unassisted with two minutes remaining in the third only to have his goal answered at the 1:14 mark. However, Gwynedd Mercy's 9-7 lead only set up the dramatic finish for the Fords.
Haverford set the tone early in the fourth period when Brandon Smith won the faceoff and picked up the ground ball on his own. Just 1:01 into the period, Geppert tallied his third goal of the game and brought the score back within a single goal. With the Fords down 9-8, the Griffins won the next faceoff. Needing to retake possession, PJ Jackson forced a Griffins turnover. Twenty second after clearing the defensive zone, Dorman scored his second goal of the afternoon off a feed from Geppert. The first two Haverford goals in the period that tied the score came just 1:13 in playing time apart.
Tied at nine-all, Gwynedd Mercy took the ensuing faceoff. Twice the Fords had to clear the zone but they would do so successfully and settle into their offensive zone. Three shots from the Haverford attack in a span of just 30 seconds left the Griffins reeling defensively as the Fords missed left, right, and high. However, this time it was the fourth time that was the charm as Girard found his fourth goal of the season with 7:27 left in the game.
Haverford goalie Eric Caliendo was called upon to make a pair of saves during the rest of regulation time. He would do so, finishing with eight saves for the game, on his way to recording his third straight win in goal. The Fords' defensive pressure forced Gwynedd Mercy into committing 20 turnovers. Six different Haverford players finished with a caused turnover for the game, including a team-best two from Kevin Goshorn. The Fords also picked up 23 ground balls, four of which were corralled by Will Weissberg.
The Fords held a 39-31 advantage in shots for the contest, including a 23-11 edge in the final two periods. Griffins' goalie John Black made saves on 13 of those shots. Geppert finished with three goals and two assists for the Haverford attack, while Dorman and Bodine each finished with two goals.
Men's lacrosse will put its three-game winning streak to the test this weekend when the Fords welcome No. 16 York (Pa.) to Swan Field Saturday. Opening faceoff is set for 1 p.m. That contest will be the final test for the Fords before the always challenging Centennial Conference schedule opens.