HAVERFORD, Pa. – The 22nd-ranked Haverford College women's lacrosse team (9–4, 2-2 CC) came up just short in a Centennial Conference showdown against No. 5 Gettysburg (11-2, 3-1 CC) on Saturday afternoon at Swan Field, as the Bullets escaped with a 13–12 victory in a back-and-forth battle between CC contenders.
The Fords were led by Brooke Epstein, who recorded a hat trick along with two assists, three draw controls, and a caused turnover. Kylie McNamara, Daniela Martini, and Tiffany Mikulis each added a pair of goals. Mikulis, Finley Jordan, and Eva Baumann all contributed two caused turnovers and two ground balls apiece. Annie Bravacos made 13 saves in goal, playing all 60 minutes.
Epstein now sits just three assists shy of 50 for her career, while McNamara has tallied 48 career goals.
For Gettysburg, Julia Daly scored four goals, and Emily Crane added three goals and an assist. Grace Battle was dominant in the midfield, securing nine draw controls. Lily Macatee tallied two caused turnovers, while Juliette Devarenne made six saves in net.
Haverford opened the contest with a player-up goal from Martini at 12:21, and Epstein followed with an unassisted strike with 2:15 left in the first quarter. Epstein added a player-up goal off a Bella Gattuso assist early in the second frame, but Gettysburg responded with a 3–0 run, taking a 7–3 lead as Daly scored back-to-back goals.
The Fords answered, as Mikulis converted a player-up opportunity off a crafty Martini feed with 4:26 left in the half, then added a free-position goal moments later. McNamara capped the surge with a goal just 19 seconds before halftime, sending Haverford into the break trailing by only one.
The third quarter was a defensive stalemate, with no scoring from either side. Bravacos recorded four saves during the frame, and the Fords forced five turnovers while successfully killing off a yellow card.
Haverford broke the deadlock early in the fourth, as Martini scored off an Epstein assist at the 13:39 mark to tie the game at 8–8. Battle immediately responded for the Bullets, but the Fords answered again with a player-up goal off the ensuing draw from McNamara. Epstein gave Haverford its first lead since the opening quarter with just over 10 minutes left, and Sophie Jaffe added another score off an Epstein assist to make it 11–9.
Gettysburg countered with a 3–0 run, getting goals from Daly, Lauren O'Connell, and Sarah Scolin to reclaim a 12–11 advantage.
In a thrilling moment, Baumann went coast-to-coast for a highlight-reel player-down goal—her second of the season—tying the game once more with just 3:13 to play.
Macatee won the ensuing draw for Gettysburg. After a fruitless possession, the Bullets regained the ball following a Haverford turnover and capitalized on a green card issued to the Fords, scoring the go-ahead goal with 1:51 left. That strike from Emily Crane ultimately stood as the game-winner.
Gettysburg held an 18–9 advantage on draw controls, but Haverford was efficient on clears, converting 22-of-23, and dictated much of the offensive tempo in the methodically paced contest.
The Fords return to action on Wednesday, April 16, hosting Muhlenberg at 4 p.m. on Swan Field. They then travel to Dickinson on Saturday, April 19, for a noon matchup with the Red Devils.