HAVERFORD, Pa. - The floodgates opened at Walton Field as the Haverford College men's soccer team (1-5-3) secured a commanding 5-0 shutout victory over Centenary (N.J.) (3-5-1) on Tuesday afternoon.
Thomas Vanni led the charge with two goals, while Gabe Knopf and Oscar Guardo each notched their first career goals. Saylen Cardoni added the final goal with just two minutes remaining, capping off an offensive showcase in which the Fords recorded 38 shots while allowing just three. Jackson Simon earned his second clean sheet of the season, marking his first career win in goal.
This match marked Haverford's highest goal total since a 5-1 victory over Merchant Marine in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Walton Field on November 12, 2016. The Fords' 38 shots were the most since tallying 41 against Immaculata on September 7, 2005.
After dominating the attacking third for the first 30 minutes, the Fords finally broke through in the 30th minute when Andrew Fritz sent a ball into the box, which captain Gabe Knopf controlled before slotting home his first career goal to open the scoring. Minutes later, Thomas Vanni doubled the lead with an unassisted strike, sending the Fords into halftime with a 2-0 advantage.
In the second half, Aidan Griggs played a strong ball that was one-timed by Aidan Lacy, who delivered a perfect cross to Oscar Guardo. The rookie from Los Angeles was in the right spot to extend the lead to 3-0 in the 69th minute. Just a minute later, Griggs' shot attempt was saved, but the rebound fell to Vanni, who buried his third goal of the season to make it 4-0.
In the closing moments, a blocked shot by Cardoni left Centenary's goalkeeper out of position, and the rebound found Cardoni again, who calmly slotted the ball into the empty net, sealing the 5-0 rout.
Haverford peppered the goal throughout the afternoon, with Vanni taking five shots on target and Lacy contributing four. In total, Haverford placed 21 shots on frame, while Centenary's goalkeeper, Kevin Velazquez Mejia, made a valiant effort with 16 saves in his 90 minutes between the posts.
The Fords will look to carry the momentum from Tuesday's win into their Centennial Conference home opener on Saturday, where they will face Gettysburg. The match is set for a noon kickoff at Walton Field.