HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College field hockey team continues to make its mark in the national rankings as the squad currently checks in at the No. 17 spot in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Penn Monto/NFHCA Division III National Coaches Poll, the organization announced on Tuesday. Haverford jumped up three spots in the national ranking after briefly falling to No. 20 from No. 19 a week ago. The Fords are 13-2 overall (6-2 CC), just one win shy of matching the program's all-time record for single season victories, a mark matched in both the 2010 and 2012 campaigns.
No. 1 Middlebury (14-0) joins No. 2 conference foe Johns Hopkins (15-0) as undefeated squads at the top of the rankings while Tufts, Babson, and Kean round out the top five. One of two ranked wins for Haverford this season, current No. 6 Rowan is undefeated since a 2-0 Haverford win Swan Field in the first month of the season. The then-No. 8 Profs have outscored opponents 49-7 since being blanked by the Fords on September 18.
The first numerical release of the Region V rankings is expected on Wednesday, as the Fords will learn where they stand among the six ranked teams in that grouping. Th NCAA regional rankings ultimately lead up to the selection of at-large bids for the NCAA Tournament.
As of Monday's statistical leaders release, the Fords are the nation's seventh-ranked defense, allowing just 0.71 goals per contest. Senior Hannah Roth has been an integral part of that effort between the pipes with the third-best save percentage in Division III (.849). Senior Ravenel Davis is also 15th in the nation offensively in goals per game (1.13) to pace a Haverford offense that is 81st in the nation in that category.
The schedule does not get any easier for the Fords as Haverford will face No. 14 Ursinus on Wednesday night in Collegeville. The 7 p.m. meeting between ranked sides serves as a prelude to the regular season finale against Swarthmore on October 30 (1 p.m.) as the Fords celebrate Senior Day at Swan Field with playoff implications on the line this week. The 2021 journey will then continue into the Centennial Conference tournament as the Fords are assured of a berth in the five-team field.