LANCASTER, Pa. — The 23rd-ranked Haverford College women's lacrosse team (9-3, 2-1 CC) dropped its first Centennial Conference game of the season, falling 13-10 to fifth-ranked Franklin & Marshall (10-1, 3-0 CC) at Shadek Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Bella Gattuso led the way offensively for the Fords, tallying three goals and one assist. Tiffany Mikulis added two goals, with her first marking the milestone of her 150th career score. Brooke Epstein paced the team in draw controls, recording a team-high seven—including the 100th of her career. Sophomore Lilly Provost collected a team-best four ground balls, while goalkeeper Annie Bravacos stood tall in net, making a game-high 14 saves on 27 shots faced.
Lane Lambeth opened the scoring for the Diplomats at the 9:57 mark of the first quarter, but Brooke Epstein responded with a player-up goal to level the game at 1-1 with 5:56 remaining. F&M closed out the quarter strong, however, as goals from Lambeth and Devyn Crone gave the hosts a 3-1 lead heading into the second.
Down two, the Fords surged back with three unanswered goals to start the second quarter. Epstein struck again, followed by a pair of goals from Gattuso, giving Haverford its first lead of the game at 4-3 with 7:49 left in the half. Tiffany Mikulis extended the lead just under a minute later, netting her 150th career goal to make it 5-3.
Abby Bonner followed with another goal for Haverford, capping a five-goal run that put the Fords ahead 6-3 with 4:10 remaining in the second. The Diplomats ended the run with an Alexandra Proefrock goal at 2:26, and a late save by goalkeeper Sara Giovanni on a Gattuso free-position shot sent the teams into halftime with Haverford leading 6-4.
Lydia Cassily opened the second half with her first goal of the game at the 11:33 mark, sparking a 4-0 F&M run. Additional goals from Proefrock and two more from Cassily flipped the score in the Diplomats' favor, 8-6, with 3:55 left in the third. Daniela Martini answered for the Fords with 39 seconds left in the quarter, narrowing the gap to 8-7 heading into the final frame.
In the fourth, Franklin & Marshall pulled away with a dominant five-goal run. Two goals from Lauren Pittman, along with tallies from Cassily, Proefrock, and Adde Hollander, gave the Diplomats a comfortable 13-7 lead with just 3:20 to play. Mikulis scored her 151st career goal at 3:06, and late goals from Kylie McNamara and Gattuso, just 20 seconds apart, brought the Fords back within three. However, the comeback fell short as time expired, and F&M secured the home win.
Haverford will return home for another top-tier Centennial Conference clash on Saturday, April 12, hosting No. 3 Gettysburg at 1 p.m on Swan Field. The contest will also serve as the annual Play With Pride Game, in partnership with Haverford's Play With Pride club.