HAVERFORD, Pa. – Fourth-quarter goals by
Katherine Kohn and
Sarah Cooper propelled the No. 21 Swarthmore College field hockey team to a 3-2 win at Haverford College in the regular season finale on Saturday.
The score was tied at one entering the final period. Kohn gave the Garnet the lead 2:30 into the quarter and Cooper added a crucial insurance goal with just over six minutes to go. Cooper's tally proved to be the game-winner after the Fords scored with less than a minute remaining. Swarthmore had a 14-12 advantage in shots but Haverford had more quality chances, owning a 10-6 edge in shots on goal.
The Garnet's victory, coupled with Johns Hopkins University's 2-1 triumph versus Franklin and Marshall College, clinched the second seed and a first-round bye for Swarthmore in next week's Centennial Conference Tournament. The Garnet and Diplomats both finished with an 8-2 conference record but Swarthmore earned the bye due to its head-to-head victory against Franklin and Marshall.
The Garnet are set to host a semifinal game against the highest remaining seed on Thursday.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Swarthmore outshot Haverford, 3-0, in the opening quarter but the game remained scoreless. Kohn had a strong chance in the second, getting a step on a defender and having a clear shot at the cage from the right side. Kohn tried to shoot through the five-hole but the goalkeeper was able to get the pad on it.
-
Cassandra Conklin made her mark on the game in the 25
th minute. The Fords were awarded a penalty corner and got the ball to the top of the arc. A shot was sent in and deflected by a Haverford player but Conklin made a diving stick save to keep it out of the cage. Conklin made another stop at close range late in the period to keep it scoreless into halftime.
- The Garnet finally broke the ice in the third quarter. Kohn got off a tough angle pass that was able to get through the goalkeeper and
Sophia Hitchingham was there to tap the ball into the open cage for a 1-0 lead in the 35
th minute. However, the Fords netted the equalizer with a deflection in the 45
th minute to make it 1-1 entering the fourth.
- Swarthmore regained the upper hand in the 48
th minute on Kohn's ninth of the year. She was able to get behind the Haverford defense and beat the goalkeeper one-on-one for a 2-1 advantage.
- Cooper put the Garnet up two in the 54
th minute.
Jackie Crowley sent the ball towards the cage from the top of the scoring area and it found the stick of Cooper. She beat the goalkeeper to the left side to make it 3-1.
- Conklin came through with four more key saves down the stretch. Haverford was able to get within one with just 26 seconds remaining but it was too little, too late for the Fords.
GARNET LEADERS
Goals: Hitchingham, Kohn, Cooper 1
Assists: Kohn, Crowley 1
Shots: Crowley 6
Shots on Goal: Crowley, Kohn 2
Saves: Conklin 8
UP NEXT
Swarthmore (12-5) will await Tuesday's first-round results to find out who its opponent will be for Thursday's semifinal.