YORK, Pa. - The Haverford College women's lacrosse team closed out its non-conference schedule with a 10-7 loss to 11th-ranked York (Pa.) College at Kinsley Field on Thursday evening.
Having won four consecutive contests, the Fords (9-3) eyed an upset over the Spartans (11-2) in their toughest non-conference test of the season.
The hosts scored two quick goals in the opening two minutes of play but Haverford, undeterred by the early deficit, continued to battle. The Fords' persistence paid off as Diana Perry scored her 39th of the season two minutes later to cut the deficit to one.
After Lauren Kura tallied her seventh of the season at 20:43 to extend York's lead back to two, Perry came through again with a free position goal at the 17-minute mark.
The two squads traded goals over the next several minutes with Elyse Adler's seventh of the season, off a look from Perry, pulling Haverford within one once more with 11 minutes remaining in the half.
Two consecutive goals by the Spartans accounted for York's largest lead of the opening stanza but the Fords showed some grit by coming up with two of their own in the final seconds of the half.
Megan Gallagher deposited her 20th of the season off an assist from sophomore Brianna Robbins with 13 ticks on the clock. The helper by Robbins was her first collegiate point.
Perry had accounted for the game-winning goal with one second on the clock against Dickinson College in Haverford's last outing. The sophomore produced with time winding down yet again as she scored her 41st of the season in the final second of first-half play to draw the Fords within one, 6-5, at intermission.
Haverford faced a challenge in looking for the equalizer in the second half as the Spartans' scoring defense currently ranks 21st in Division III. Standing behind that defense is junior goalie Ashley Smith (9-1) who boasts the 11th-best goals against average in the nation at 7.04.
Smith turned away Christina Gould's attempt to tie the contest with three minutes gone by in the second. Aided by the stop from its goalie, York managed to score the next two of the contest to move out to an 8-5 lead with 17 minutes remaining.
Kenny Likes made sure the Fords did not go down without a fight as her 14th of the season at 15:15 kept Haverford within striking distance at 8-6.
York's stingy defense limited the Fords to just four more shots, however, over the remainder of play as the Spartans scored two of the final three goals on the night.
Grace Stockbower closed out the scoring for Haverford with her ninth of the season off an assist from Gould.
Shannon Horn (8-3) made eight saves for the Fords in the loss.
Registering at least four points for the fifth consecutive game, Perry, the reigning Centennial Conference offensive player of the week, finished with three goals and one assist.
Haverford won the draw control battle (10-8) in an impressive effort as York ranks 21st in D-III with an average of 15.09 per game. Perry and Likes led the cause with three apiece.
Kim Wayson paced the Spartans in the contest with four goals to give her 44 on the season.
The Fords return to Centennial action on Saturday as Bryn Mawr College makes the short trip to Swan Field for a 1 p.m. contest.