HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College women's lacrosse team (1-0) used a late fourth-quarter surge to earn their first victory of the season, defeating Bates (0-1) by a score of 18-14. The season opener against the Bobcats took place on a chilly day at Swan Field, as the Fords certainly brought the heat against a NESCAC foe.
The dangerous duo of Tiffany Mikulis and Brooke Epstein led the charge offensively for the Fords, with Mikulis scoring six goals, while Epstein recorded four goals, four assists, and a Haverford record of 13 draw controls in the game. On the defensive front, Sophie Jaffe and Finley Jordan each caused two turnovers, while Eva Baumann scooped up a team-high five ground balls. Defending the net was Annie Bravacos, who recorded six saves in her first victory of her senior campaign.
A high-scoring opening quarter saw the visitors get on the board first with a goal from Caroline Taggart, before goals from Epstein and Daniela Martini put the Scarlet and Black up 2-1 with 9:35 left in the first quarter. Laci Raveis of Bates then scored the tying and go-ahead goal to put the Bobcats up 3-2, before Taggart extended the advantage to 4-2 with 11 seconds to go in the first 15 minutes of play.
However, a highlight-reel feed from Epstein to Ellie Hughes, who then ripped a shot into the back of the net to beat the buzzer, trimmed the visitors' lead to 4-3 heading into the second quarter.
Another Raveis goal reclaimed a two-goal cushion for Bates to start the second stanza, before a 7-0 offensive outburst from Haverford gave the hosts a commanding 10-5 advantage with 4:25 remaining in the first half. During this momentous run, Mikulis and Epstein each scored two goals (including one player-up goal by Mikulis), while Hughes collected her second goal of the contest. Sophie Jaffe and Louisa Coughlin also found the back of the net during the run, scoring their first goals of the season.
The Bobcats, however, headed into the halftime break with some momentum, as Caitlin Quinn and Raveis (off a free-position shot) tallied goals for the visitors, sending both teams into the break with Haverford clinging to a 10-7 advantage.
A Mikulis goal at the 12:21 mark was quickly answered by Sarah Stavrovich, before Hughes and Grace Yonchak of Bates each scored one goal, as the Bobcats continued to hover around a three-goal deficit. Abby Bonner picked up a clutch goal to push the Fords' lead to 13-9, before two unanswered goals from Bates (scored by Grace Cassin and Aisling Boyd) cut the hosts' lead to 13-11. Jaffe scored a crucial player-up goal to give the Fords a much-needed insurance goal, before goals from Caroline Keating and Raveis closed the third period on a 2-0 scoring run for the visitors.
However, the fourth quarter was all Haverford, as the Fords outscored the Bobcats 4-1 to seal the 18-14 victory. What began as a 14-13 game entering the final stanza, saw a player-up goal from Epstein and a fourth-quarter hat trick from Mikulis as the turning point, wrapping up an 18-14 win for the hosts.
The women's lacrosse team will return to action on Saturday, February 22, beginning a two-game road trip at Stockton, with the first draw scheduled for 1 p.m. The meeting is the first ever matchup between the two sides.