LANCASTER, Pa. - The Haverford College women's lacrosse team (9-5, 5-2 CC) battled back and forth with the No. 10 Franklin & Marshall Diplomats (11-4, 6-1 CC) on Saturday evening in Lancaster.. Haverford held their own for the majority of the contest, but eventually fell to the hosts by a score of 16-14. Despite the loss, the Fords head into their final two regular season games in prime position to clinch a top three seed and hosting privileges in the Centennial tournament.
A trio of Fords recorded a hat trick in the contest as Tiffany Mikulis led the way with four goals. Lia Herzig registered her first hat trick of the season with three tallies, while Katharine Ference scored three and added three assists. Sam Silverman also got involved with two goals and three assists.
Ference notched a game-best seven draw controls, while Mikulis and Silverman each caused two turnovers. Annie Bravacos made nine savse for the Fords
Haverford jumped out to an early lead on F&M, scoring four of the game's opening five goals. The Diplomats struck first with a goal from Lane Lambeth but the Fords shook that off and answered rather quickly. Herzig scored just 20 seconds later after Haverford won the draw control and then Herzig added another at the 11:52 mark.Ference, usually the glue that pieces the offense together, made it 3-1 with a goal at the 11-minute mark, scoring off the feed from Nancy Tucker. Haverford then made it four unanswered goals after Brooke Epstein took it herself and fired a goal past the F&M goalie.
With 7:25 left to play in the first period, the hosts took control. Realizing they were in early trouble, F&M finished the period with five unanswered goals. It was certainly a momentum killer for Haverford but the first period from both teams set the tone for how the rest of the contest played out.
The second period was quite literally back-and-forth. Haverford, now down 6-4, opened the period with a goal as Mikulis scored off the pass from Ference at the 12:20 mark. F&M's Lauren Pittman answered a minute later but Ference responded the following minute. This back-and-forth pace continued throughout the second period.
Gillian Brennan scored for the Diplomats but Mikulis responded with a goal. At the 2:30 mark, the game entered into a lightning delay, putting a pause to the action for nearly an hour. However, that didn't slow either team down following the delay as both teams scored in the final two minutes with F&M clinging to a 9-8 lead.
Haverford opened up the third period with another flurry of goals, scoring three unanswered. Mikulis, Silverman, and Ference all got on the scoresheet again to give the Fords a two-goal advantage halfway through the period. Madison Bray ended the run with a goal with just over six minutes left to play. Jacquelyn Jardini found Herzig for a goal shortly after to regain the two-goal advantage. Finally, Sydney Lowe scored for F&M to go send the hosts into the final period trailing by just one goal.
It took everything from the No. 10 team in the nation to down Haverford. Both teams scored in the opening seven minutes of the fourth stana. The Diplomats tied the game at nine before the Fords regained the lead with a free-position goal from Mikulis at the 9:18 mark.
A big three-goal run from Franklin & Marshall gave the hosts a 15-13 lead with just six minutes remaining in the contest. Haverford pulled one back during a player-up opportunity, as Silverman scored her second goal of the contest, this time from the free position spot. Her goal came at the three-minute mark and the game was on the line with the next draw control.
Haverford won the draw and quickly called a timeout to draw up a game plan. An untimely turnover followed the timeout, and F&M took advantage by scoring a goal with just a minute remaining. The Fords took control of the next draw but a shot put wide with 30 seconds left eventually brought the game to a close with the Diplomats regaining possession and narrowly escaping defeat.
The Fords, receiving votes in the national poll, will look to bounce back in a midweek home contest with Bryn Mawr on Wednesday, April 26. The opening draw on Swan Field is scheduled for 7 p.m.