HAVERFORD, Pa. - The 22nd-ranked Haverford College women's lacrosse team (12-4, 7-2 CC) kicked off a busy day on campus as it was the final day of the regular season at Swan Field. The Fords lost to No. 4 ranked Franklin & Marshall (15-2, 8-1 CC) by a score of 18-11. Seven Haverford seniors (Hannah Lopez, Caroline Alexis, Callie Crawford, Roma Hladky, Kate Severtson, Maria Krieg, and Sarah Cahn) were honored before the game for their successes and contributions to Haverford both on and off the field.
The two teams felt each other out in the opening four minutes. Still, the Diplomats got many of the early opportunities to score. Sarah Chan started the game with three quick saves thanks to her swift reactions to F&M's shots. Although the Diplomats looked threatening early, Haverford's Roma Hladky broke the deadlock with a goal at the 11:44 mark off the feed from Callie Crawford.
F&M's last shot before the flurry came at the 13:06 mark, and the visitors wouldn't get another attempt until their goal at the 8:05 mark. Maddy Birch finished a pass from Sydney Lowe to even the score. After that, it was mostly the Diplomats for the remainder of the period. F&M scored three more goals before Haverford's Sam Silverman pulled one back, making the score 4-2 at the end of one.
Franklin & Marshall started the second period with a flurry of goals from Madison Bray and Lane Lambeth. After suffering three goals in the first three minutes, Haverford needed an answer, and the Fords would get one. At the 10:29 mark, Hannah Lopez took a pass from Jordan Denaver and scored past the goalie's left. However, the Diplomats didn't wait long to answer back after scoring just one minute later. The Fords got another goal from Crawford with seven minutes remaining in the half, but F&M finished the period with three unanswered goals of their own.
Haverford outscored the Diplomats in the third period 4-3, thanks to their first scoring run of the contest. Crawford scored on a player-up opportunity at the 10:55 mark, but two goals from F&M wiped out any momentum. Haverford scored three unanswered following the visitor's goals as Nancy Tucker, Crawford, and Lia Herzig each led the charge for a possible comeback. However, after a late goal from Franklin & Marshall, the third period ended with the hosts trailing 14-8.
It became clear it would take a lot for the Fords to battle back in the final period, and Silverman got things started with a goal at the 13:16 mark. Tucker found Silverman with a beautiful pass that the junior put away. However, F&M stayed strong and outscored the Fords 4-2 for the remainder of the contest. Crawford scored both goals for the Fords in the fourth.
Senior Sarah Cahn faced 30 shots from the Diplomats and finished the game with 12 saves. Callie Crawford led the Fords in goals, ending the game with five goals and two assists. Ference registered three assists but was vital in the draw controls, taking seven. On defense, Maria Krieg regularly disrupted F&M's offense, totaling two ground balls and a caused turnover in a swarming effort.
Haverford finished the regular season with eight conference wins and placed third in the Centennial. Despite the loss, the Fords will have an opportunity to right the ship. The two teams meet again in the Centennial Conference Semifinal hosted by Gettysburg on Saturday, May 7. The time of the game is set to be announced in the coming days.