CHESTER, Pa. – The Haverford College women's lacrosse team (3-0) continued its unbeaten start to the 2025 season with a 14-7 road victory over Widener (0-2) at Edith R. Dixon Field Wednesday afternoon.
Haverford's offense was powered by Bella Gattuso and Brooke Epstein, who each recorded hat tricks. Gattuso netted three goals, including a player-up tally in the fourth quarter, while Epstein added three goals and an assist. Epstein also controlled a game-high six draw controls, delivering another well-rounded performance for the standout junior.
Tiffany Mikulis and Louisa Coughlin played pivotal roles, with Mikulis scoring twice and Coughlin adding a crucial third-quarter goal. In total, 11 different players recorded points for Haverford, showcasing the team's depth in the early season road contest. Kylie Kearon and Ellie Hughes each added a goal, while Daniela Martini and Sophie Jaffe provided key assists.
Defensively, the Fords were just as dominant, limiting Widener to 14 total shots while forcing 23 turnovers. Annie Bravacos was crucial between the pipes with three saves, playing the full 60 minutes to secure her third win of the season. Eva Baumann led the defensive effort with five caused turnovers and four ground balls, while Coughlin also added three caused turnovers.
Haverford's ability to disrupt Widener's offensive rhythm was evident, as the Pride struggled to generate scoring opportunities, managing just one goal in both the second and third quarters. The Fords outshot Widener 30-14, including a 20-10 edge in shots on goal. The Fords also excelled in transition, successfully converting 20-of-21 clear attempts, while Widener finished 16-of-19. Haverford held a slight advantage in draw controls (13-12) and forced the Pride into 23 turnovers while committing just 16.
Widener struck first with back-to-back goals from Jessica Mantz and Chloe Mingioni, but Gattuso quickly responded with two straight tallies, evening the score at 2-2 with 8:07 remaining in the first quarter. From there, Haverford took control, netting seven unanswered goals to pull into command. Epstein converted a free-position attempt, followed by Grace Kail scoring her first career goal. Epstein struck again with 1:06 left in the quarter off a feed from Jaffe.
Epstein, the reigning Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week, completed her hat trick early in the second period, finishing a pass from Martini with 12:54 on the clock to extend Haverford's lead to 6-2. Hughes found the back of the net with 5:05 remaining in the half, pushing the lead to five before Widener pulled one back just before intermission.
In the third quarter, Haverford outscored Widener 3-1 with goals from Coughlin, Kylie McNamara, and Abby Bonner. The latter two strikes helped the Fords launch a 4-0 run, capped by two goals from Mikulis. Widener answered with three straight goals to cut the deficit to five with five minutes remaining, but Gattuso's player-up goal with 4:20 left and Kearon's late conversion off an Epstein assist sealed the 14-7 victory for the visitors.
Haverford returns to action on Saturday, March 1, hosting Scranton at Swan Field. The game, set for a 3 p.m. start, will serve as Haverford's annual One Love Game, dedicated to raising awareness about relationship abuse in honor of Yeardley Love, a University of Virginia senior lacrosse student-athlete who was killed by her ex-boyfriend in 2010.