ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Haverford College field hockey team (9-7, 5-4 CC) claimed a 2-1 victory in a thrilling penalty shootout against the Muhlenberg Mules (6-10, 1-8 CC) on a crisp fall evening at Scotty Wood Stadium. With the win, the Fords remain in playoff contention with just one match remaining.
The Mules struck first, getting on the scoreboard just under four minutes into the game off a well-placed penalty corner. Devon Eastlack drove the ball into the circle, where Erin DiSandro executed a give-and-go pass with Mikayla DeMichele. DiSandro then fired a shot that skipped past goalkeeper Mary Smith, putting Muhlenberg up 1-0.
The Fords looked to answer quickly as Rachel Marlin rifled a shot at the other end, but the Mules' goaltender made a quick kick save. Erica Pardón tried to tap in the rebound, but Schwartz denied her again. Despite a relatively quiet first half, the Fords outshot Muhlenberg 4-1, with three shots on target, and held a 5-1 advantage in penalty corners. However, the Mules maintained their 1-0 lead going into halftime.
Just as Muhlenberg had an early goal in the first half, Haverford responded early in the second. Following a penalty corner insertion by Pardón, Holly Vincent unleashed a shot toward the cage, which was blocked. The deflection rolled to Pardón, who, positioned near the post, backhanded the ball to the far side of the goal, leveling the score at 1-1.
Smith came up big with a save on Abba Diglio's shot late in the third quarter, leaving both teams deadlocked at 1-1 heading into the fourth. The fourth quarter saw just one shot from Pardón for the Fords, which Schwartz stopped, sending the game into overtime.
DiSandro had a golden opportunity for Muhlenberg in the first overtime, launching a shot that was parried away by Smith. Moments later, Pardón had a chance on the other end, but her shot was deflected away. She continued to challenge Muhlenberg's defense with a breakaway, though she stumbled and lost possession. On the opposite end, Diglio received a pass behind the Fords' defense and broke away down the field, but Smith charged out and knocked the ball away with her stick, preventing a possible game-winning goal.
The Fords earned multiple penalty corners in the second overtime period. Vincent nearly found the net with a shot deflected toward the far post, but it spun out of play. With just 1:20 remaining, Pardón again broke through Muhlenberg's defense and laced a shot on target, but a diving Schwartz made a crucial save, preserving the 1-1 tie and sending the match into a much anticipated penalty shootout.
Haverford made the move to bring in rookie Steph Ionescu to step up between the pipes for the penalty shootout in her collegiate debut. Muhlenberg took a 1-0 lead in the shootout after DiSandro backhanded a shot around the first-year goalkeeper, but Pardón quickly leveled the shootout at 1-1 with a skillful move around Schwartz. After Ionescu made a key save on DeMichele, Zoey Despines scored to give Haverford a 2-1 advantage. Ionescu made another crucial stop, forcing Diglio to shoot wide, and Naomi York then extended Haverford's lead to 3-1. Erin Jackson scored to bring Muhlenberg within one, but after Carolina Sanchez was fouled on her attempt, Marlin stepped up to the spot and converted the resulting penalty stroke, securing a 4-2 shootout win for the Fords.
The Fords will conclude their regular season with a pivotal matchup at Clothier Field on the campus of Swarthmore College, taking on the 24th-ranked Hood Trophy rival Garnet on Saturday, November 2, at 7 p.m. In addition to battling for a crucial Hood Trophy point, both teams will face significant playoff implications.