Signature wins: The Haverford College women's soccer team really hit its stride during the month of October as the team made a push for its second straight Centennial Conference Tournament appearance. Two crucial shutout wins on the road against playoff contenders Gettysburg and Dickinson certainly made the statement that the Fords were among the top teams in the conference. A 2-0 win against Gettysburg early in the month saw Haverford give the Bullets just one look on goal the entire afternoon. In a dominating 4-0 win against the Red Devils, the Fords held a 20-4 advantage in total shots during that contest.
Defense was definitely a staple of the 2017 team as the Fords finished 15 of the team's 18 matches with more shots than their opposition. Haverford clinched its first round bye in the Centennial Conference Tournament with a 1-1 draw against Swarthmore on Senior Day, one of just three occasions in which the opponents had more shots (in this case, just a 19-18 advantage). Defense helped the team finish the year with nine total shutouts as Haverford allowed an average of just one goal per game throughout the year.
Awards:
- United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award (12th straight season)
- All-Centennial Conference: Taylor Cross (first team), Raina Fitzpatrick (first team), Skyler Ellenburg (honorable mention), Katie Safter (honorable mention)
- Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll: Kelly Brown, Anna Dekle, Raina Fitzpatrick, Kendra Griesman, Julie Hanss, Hannah Krapes, Leanne Ludwick, Grace Mathis, Katie Safter, Sarah Savonis, Kelsey Smith, Ali Weiner, Lindsay Wytkind
- Centennial Conference All-Sportsmanship Team: Skyler Ellenburg
- Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Week: Taylor Cross (9/25)
Season Notes:
Haverford went 9-6-3 overall with a 6-2-2 record in Centennial Conference play … Haverford advanced to the Centennial Conference Tournament for the second straight season and for the ninth time in 11 seasons under head coach Jamie Schneck … The aforementioned first round bye and subsequent No. 3 seed in the conference tournament helped the team reach the semifinals for the 11th time in program history … The senior class graduated with three straight winning records after a 7-7-3 season in its first year on campus … That group was a part of 37 victories over its four years at Haverford … The Fords had two first-team All-Centennial Conference honorees for the first time since the 2013 season and just the ninth time in program history … The 2017 season marked the second straight season during which four Fords were named to the All-Centennial Conference Team … Offensively, 13 players scored a goal this fall while a total of 14 players recorded an offensive point for the varied attack … Haverford earned the NSCAA Academic Team Award for the 12th straight season and 19th time in the award's 20 year history.
Looking forward:
Losing a big Class of 2018 to graduation (nine players), which featured three All-CC players this fall, will certainly leave some positions open for next season. However, as evidenced by 14 different players recording a point this season (nine of which return), the Fords always seem to have a deep team with another player ready to step up on a moment's notice. There appear to be plenty of candidates to fill those spots in the lineup as the Fords return 11 players who have started at least 10 games at some point during their careers. That list includes three-time All-Centennial Conference performer Katie Safter and 2016 second-team All-CC honoree Kendra Griesman, along with Saede Eifrig and Leanna Ludwick who have led the team in offensive points during the past two seasons.