ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The 19th-ranked Haverford College field hockey team (11-2, 4-2 CC) continued its winning ways with a come from behind victory over host Muhlenberg (4-7, 2-4) on Wednesday evening at Scotty Wood Stadium. The Fords scored two goals in less than four minutes in the fourth quarter to take a third consecutive one-goal triumph.
Haverford has now won 11 games for the first time since the 2017 campaign. The 11-2 mark through the first 13 games is the best start in program history for the Fords.
After a first quarter that saw Haverford with a firm grasp on the offensive rhythm of the game, it was the hosts who scored first, with Muhlenberg tallying just before halftime as Nicole Randazza found the back of the cage in the 29th minute. Haverford went to the intermission down by a goal and trailing in overall shots despite earning eight first half penalty corners.
Out of the halftime gates, Caroline Channell made a heroic effort to deny Tyler Wilson in the 39th minute of action, keeping the contest a one-score game with a defensive save before Muhlenberg had another salvo blocked in the circle in the third period.
Haverford fired the only three shots in the fourth quarter, and certainly made the most of those opportunities, finding the back of the cage twice. After a penalty corner was awarded to the Fords in the 51st minute, Delaney Snowden sent the ball in and screaming towards the post where Dalia Bercow was waiting to tip in her fourth goal of the season to tie the score at 1-1.
Less than four minutes later, Haverford regained possession near midfield as Olivia Ahart collected the ball and sprinted down the sideline before firing a long cross into the circle where Ravenel Davis lunged to tap the ball into the upper right corner to hand the visitors the late lead. Ahart tallied her Centennial Conference-leading eighth assist of the season while Davis notched her conference-best 15th goal and seventh game-winning tally of the season. Davis' seven game-winning goals in 2021 is a new program record.
The impactful shot from Davis would be the last of the contest for either side as the Fords came away with a hard-fought win over the Mules by grinding out the rest of the time remaining on the clock with purposeful possession minded play.
Hannah Roth made three saves during her 60 minutes of action in the cage while Davis had a game-best four shots in the contest. Maleah Hess tallied three to pace the Mules while Tyler Wilson put both her shot attempts on frame. The win was Haverford's first in Allentown since the 2015 season and the first over the Mules overall since a 1-0 victory on Swan Field in 2017.
Haverford has the weekend off from competition and will now return home for a Wednesday evening contest against Washington College. The game is slated to begin at 7 p.m. on Swan Field.