HAVERFORD, Pa. – Bryn Bissey's goal seconds before halftime and Bridget Gibbons' score less than a minute into second-half action propelled Haverford College's field hockey team to a season-opening 4-2 upset of No. 18 Rowan University on Friday afternoon at Swan Field.

Bissey's tally put the Fords back in front after Rowan's Amy McKeever evened the score less than two minutes after Haverford's Mary Hobbs had given the home team a 1-0 lead in the game's 32nd minute.

Gibbons notched what would prove to the be the game winner. The senior's first goal of the season came off a feed from Hobbs just 53 seconds into the second half, putting the Fords ahead by a score of 3-1.

Rowan drew back within one four minutes later and maintained pressure for a short time afterward, but the Haverford defense which was spearheaded by Christie Quake and goalkeeper Sydney Hyder blanked the Profs the rest of the way.

Hobbs factored into the game's final score slipping a pass across the face of the goal to the right post and an uncovered Catherine Aronowitz who banged home her first of the year to provide the Fords with their winning two-goal margin of victory.

Rowan opened the game with solid offensive pressure, but the momentum slowly turned the Fords' way. By halftime Haverford owned a 13-8 edge in shots. The game concluded with that margin growing to 28-19, in favor of the home team.

Rowan goalie Steph Columbo kept her team close by registering nine of her 14 saves during the second half, while Hyder needed to make only two of her seven total saves during the same 35 minute time span.

Friday's victory was the first season-opening win for the Fords since the 2003 season, and avenged a succession of victories by the Profs who had defeated Haverford in each of the past two season-opening games.

The Fords will look to be just as challenging in their next game as they'll square off against 16th-ranked Lebanon Valley College at Swan Field on Thursday afternoon.