Fords Upset Garnet
HAVERFORD, Pa. - Haverford freshman Ariel Herm scored her first collegiate goal and junior Colleen Farrell notched her eighth as the Fords (7-8 overall, 3-6 CC) upset Swarthmore 2-0 in Centennial field hockey action on a cold, blustery afternoon on the Main Line.
The game was a re-match of the 4-1 Swarthmore victory in the fifth-place game of the 2006 Seven Sisters Championship.
Haverford controlled play through much of the first half, holding a 7-1 shot advantage while taking 10 penalty corners to six for the Garnet.
Herm tipped in the eventual game-winner at 22:40, re-directing a cross from sophomore defender Julia McGuire just inside the right side of the cage.
Swarthmore came out at the second half with plenty of vigor, looking for the equalizer. The Garnet had a golden opportunity in the 57th minute when an Ashley Gunter '09 shot drew a penalty stroke for Swarthmore. With the clock frozen at 56:05, Garnet senior captain Summer Spicer lined up against Fords' goalie Sarah Graves. Spicer flipped the shot towards the top of the cage, but Graves denied the attempt to keep the score at 1-0.
The Fords added an insurance goal in the 69th minute - Farrell got behind the Swarthmore defense on the left side and raced at Garnet goalie Melissa LaVan. The Haverford junior shot the ball at the short post and LaVan deflected it with her heel across the goal mouth. Farrell stayed with the ball and popped it into the cage at 68:44 for her team-leading eighth score of 2006.
Graves made four saves in goal for her second shut-out of the season while Swarthmore goalies Karen Lorang '07 (two saves) and LaVan (three saves) split the duties in net.
Swarthmore will need help in its quest to make the Centennial playoffs as the Garnet sit in a fifth-place tie (eight points) with idle Muhlenberg and F&M.
The Garnet (9-7 overall, 4-5 CC) conclude the 2006 regular season on Saturday, Oct. 28th with the annual Senior Day celebration against F&M at 12:00 p.m. The annual Swarthmore Alumnae Game will follow the conclusion of the varsity contest (approx. 1:30 p.m.).