Full Centennial Conference Release

HAVERFORD, Pa. - After a thrilling 2-0 week that saw her squad prevail in a pair of must win games, rookie goalkeeper Steph Ionescu earned Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors for her decisive performances in back-to-back penalty shootouts that propelled Haverford to its first playoff berth since 2022.

In a critical matchup against Muhlenberg in Allentown on Wednesday, Ionescu entered the game specifically for the penalty shootout, where she made two key saves to secure a 2-1 victory, keeping Haverford alive in the playoff chase. On Saturday, another high-stakes battle that  became "win and get in" match against 24th-ranked Swarthmore, Ionescu again stepped up in the shootout, forcing three misses to clinch a 1-0 win that secured the Fords' place in the Centennial Conference tournament.

Though Ionescu hadn't played a minute during the regular season, her composed performances in these two shootouts helped Haverford achieve a 2-0 overall goalie record and a playoff spot.

Ionescu and the Fords will be back in action on Tuesday, November 5, at 5 p.m. as the fifth-seeded Fords travel to fourth-seeded Franklin & Marshall for the Centennial Conference tournament's first round on Tylus Field. 

A live stream, stats, and ticket information for all of the action this afternoon is available on HaverfordAthletics.com. The Fords will be looking to avenge their 4-1 regular season home loss to the Diplomats from October 19.