CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – The Haverford College women's soccer team recorded its fourth straight win to open the 2015 season with a 1-0 victory over the DeSales University Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon.
This marks the first time in program history that the Fords have started a season 4-0. Haverford went 3-0-1 to begin the 2009 and 2011 campaigns.
Haverford got the offensive pace moving with three shots in the first five minutes of the game, two of which were saved and the other shot wide. Later in the half, sophomore Raina Fitzpatrick added two straight shots, but was turned away. The home team saw its first scoring chance go wide left off the foot of Jess Wetherhold in the 28th minute. Haverford forced DeSales' goalie Haley Jacobs to make seven saves in the first 45 minutes of game time. The Fords got on the board with just two seconds left on the clock in the first half. Sophomore Anna Dekle dribbled just inside the 18-yard box and shot the ball just over Jacobs' head.
In the second stanza, the Fords tried to add on to their lead, but freshman Hannah Krapes was denied by Jacobs while freshman Sydney West's attempt was wide right. DeSales tried to tie the match with three straight shot attempts over a 26-second span in the 68th minute. After Haverford goalie Kathy Prescott came up with a save, a rebound attempt from Marissa Raia was kicked off the end line by a Ford defender. Ten seconds later, DeSales' Rachel Logue's header shot was nabbed by Prescott, who made all four of her saves in the second stanza including a final shot from the home team in the 82nd minute.
Senior Jo Haller led the Haverford offense with three shots while three other Fords had two shots. Dekle's goal was her second of the season and third in her career. She already has a season-best four points. Prescott has two shutouts on the season and sports a sparkling .26 goals against average.
The undefeated Fords will now get a week off before welcoming Dickinson to Walton Field next Saturday (Sept. 19). The match is scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m.