Haverford Championships Central
Wednesday, May 1 – Carlisle, Pa.
First Round – No. 4 Dickinson vs. No. 5 Haverford – 4:30 p.m.
Video | Live Stats
Saturday, May 4 – Lancaster, Pa.
Semifinal 1 – No. 1 F&M vs. No. 4/5 Winner – 12:00 p.m.
Video | Live Stats
Semifinal 2 – No. 2 Gettysburg vs. No. 3 Washington – 3:00 p.m.
Video | Live Stats
Sunday, May 5 – Lancaster, Pa.
Final – Semifinal Winners – 1:00 p.m.
Video | Live Stats
HAVERFORD, Pa. – After securing a second straight Centennial Conference tournament berth with an exhilarating 9-8 win over Hood Trophy rival Swarthmore on Saturday at Swan Field, the Haverford Women's Lacrosse team (9-7, 4-5 CC) now sets its sights on a first-round matchup slated for Dickinson's Biddle Field on Wednesday afternoon (4:30 p.m.).
The postseason berth is the second in just two seasons for Haverford under Head Coach Katie Zichelli, as the Fords have now reached the Centennial tournament for the fourth time in the last five seasons overall. The Fords and No. 22 Red Devils will be facing off for the second consecutive postseason, as Dickinson came away with a road victory over Haverford in the first-round contest on Swan Field a year ago. The two squads also matched up in Carlisle during the 2019 regular season, with Dickinson protecting its home turf, holding on for a 13-8 win over then-No. 23 Haverford on April 6.
Each of the five teams in the conference's postseason picture have seen time ranked in the IWLCA National Coaches' Poll this season, and the conference has certainly provided a wealth of exciting action with a multitude of close games between the top five contenders. The Fords played No. 1 overall seed Franklin & Marshall and No. 3 seed Washington College to the wire in narrow losses that came by just one goal. Second-seeded Gettysburg, the two-time defending national champion, will head on the road to Lancaster for a second straight season in a testament to the conference's remarkable depth.
Haverford enters the first-round contest on a tear offensively, with senior Allie Gibbons proving to be a stalwart of the attack for the Fords. Gibbons, a co-captain of the squad, has taken another big step forward after an All-Conference season a year ago, leading the Centennial with 62 goals at the end of the regular season. Fellow senior Rina Rosnow returned from injury to help anchor a resurgent offensive attack last week, with consecutive three-goal contests to pull to 29 total goals on the season. Sophomore Hailey Morris has also been a vital scoring option on the forward line for Haverford, notching 30 goals and 23 assists so far this season.
A prolific offense for the Fords starts with consistent ball movement and communication, as a total team effort has resulted in the fifth-most assists per game in all of Division III. Haverford is averaging 9.94 helpers per contest. Haverford's points per game total is also 12th in the nation (25.06), while the scoring offense is also within the top 25 in Division III (15.13 goals per game).
Perhaps no individual has personified the Haverford offensive game in the last two seasons quite like junior Julia Manetta. Already the program's career leader in total assists, Manetta has rocketed up to third in the nation in total assists this season (60), and is fourth in assists per game (3.75). Sophomore Julia Pascarella has also been a major part of that effort, with 24 goals and 32 assists in 15 starts this year.
The midfield grouping has been equally strong this season, as junior Maeve Gaffney sits at sixth on the team in points (25 goals, 5 assists) while senior Sarah Svetec and junior Olivia DiRienz share the team lead in draw controls with 38. Gaffney has also chipped in 31, while junior Eliza Brosgol, first-year Callie Crawford, sophomore Courtney Cubbin, and first-year Roma Hladky have all also tallied 10 or more.
A swarming defensive effort has also become a hallmark of the Haverford game in recent months, as the Fords are leading the Centennial Conference with 11.81 caused turnovers per game. A Centennial Conference first-team pick a season ago, Anna Meyers has followed up on that campaign with another stellar year, recording 27 caused turnovers, a mark tied for fourth in the Centennial. Junior Emily Krupnick, first-year Caroline Alexis, and sophomore Isabel Canning also contribute greatly to one of the stingiest defenses in the region.
Sophomore Amelia Slade has consistently been a stalwart in goal as her 10 saves per contest is second-most in the Centennial and her .476 save percentage is third amongst conference keepers.
Dickinson (11-5, 6-3 CC) takes the No. 22 ranking into the postseason and has bursted onto the national stage with an impressive run of success in the final third of the season. A talented group of seniors has helped the Red Devils' cause as Anne Dunster (36 goals, 31 assists) and Eleanor Kaestner (35 goals) have been an integral part of the offense. Sophomore Erika Bloes (33 goals, six assists) is another name to watch on the attack for Dickinson, while sophomore Laurie Travaglini has caused a team-high 25 turnovers and added a team-best 39 ground balls. First-year Drew Yager has seen the bulk of action between the pipes, with 11 starts. She has posted a 10.57 goals against average, and stopped 75 shots in 15 total contests.
The winner of this week's Centennial Conference tournament will take home the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. A live video stream and live stats for each game of the Centennial Conference women's lacrosse tournament will be made available via the Centennial Conference Digital Network. Fans are also encouraged to check in with the Centennial Conference Championship Central page for all the latest updates on the spring championship slate.