LANCASTER, Pa. – The Haverford College men's lacrosse team (8-2, 1-1 CC) suffered their first Centennial Conference defeat of the season on Wednesday evening, falling to Franklin & Marshall (8-2, 2-0) by a score of 11-7 at Shadek Stadium.
Matt Richards led the way offensively for Haverford, tallying three goals, while Philip Passalaqua and Tyler Vendetti each recorded two goals. Drew Buck had a standout performance at the faceoff X, going 18-for-21 in draws and collecting a game and career-high 12 ground balls. Defensively, Richards and Ronan West caused two turnovers each, while Jacob Abraham made 10 saves on 21 shots faced between the posts for the Scarlet and Black.
However, it was 15 saves off of 22 shots from Franklin & Marshall's Teddy Scarborough that made the difference in the contest.
Franklin & Marshall struck first, as Kai Kelly found the back of the net at the 9:51 mark to give the Diplomats a 1-0 lead. Making his 2025 season debut, Reid Tietjen wasted no time making an immediate impact, assisting on a Richards goal just a minute later to tie the game at 1-1. Less than a minute after that, Vendetti scored his first goal of the night, putting the Fords ahead 2-1 with 8:08 remaining in the opening quarter. However, Kelly responded with his second goal of the game at the 4:02 mark, leveling the score at 2-2 heading into the second quarter.
The second quarter began with both goalkeepers, Abraham and Scarborough, making key saves to keep the game tied. Richards broke the deadlock at the 11:17 mark with his second goal of the night, giving Haverford a 3-2 advantage. F&M quickly responded, as Eli Crystal scored with 8:02 on the clock to tie the game once again at 3-3. The Diplomats then went on a 4-0 scoring run, with goals from Jackson Barnhill, Charlie Bernicker, Dillon Mannix, and Frank Luviano, giving the hosts a commanding 7-3 lead heading into the halftime break.
Crystal opened the scoring in the second half with his second goal of the game, extending F&M's lead to 8-3 with 11:57 remaining in the third quarter. Haverford finally broke through when Passalaqua ended the Diplomats' 6-0 run, cutting the deficit to 8-4 at the 6:23 mark. Passalaqua struck again just 32 seconds later, firing a shot past Scarborough to bring the Fords within three, 8-5. Despite Haverford's renewed energy, Scarborough held firm, making three more saves to preserve F&M's 8-5 lead heading into the final quarter.
Just 24 seconds into the fourth quarter, Vendetti scored his second goal of the game, narrowing the gap to 8-6. However, Crystal answered for the Diplomats with his third goal of the night at the 10:52 mark, completing his first collegiate hat trick and extending F&M's lead to 9-6. Following a Haverford penalty, Dylan Reese capitalized on a player-up opportunity, making it 10-6 with 9:47 to play.
Richards completed his hat trick at the 4:01 mark, bringing Haverford within three, 10-7, but an empty-net goal from Crystal—his fourth of the night—sealed the 11-7 victory for Franklin & Marshall.
Haverford men's lacrosse will continue their Centennial Conference schedule with a matchup against Ursinus in Collegeville, Pa., on Saturday, March 29. The opening faceoff is slated for 12 p.m.