Championship Central
Haverford outlasted Swarthmore in overtime and Franklin & Marshall edged Gettysburg in the Centennial Conference women's lacrosse semifinals on Friday evening, setting up a Fords vs. Diplomats title game matchup for the first time ever. The Fords will compete in their first CC title game while the Diplomats move on to the finals for the 12th consecutive year.
Haverford will host Sunday's championship at 1 p.m. at Swan Field. Haverford claimed a 13-8 victory over F&M when these teams met back in early April.
In Haverford, Pa., 23rd-ranked and top-seeded Haverford (13-5) delivered a thrilling 14-13 overtime victory over fourth-seeded Swarthmore (13-5), marking a second consecutive overtime win at Swan Field for the Scarlet and Black as the program reached its first Centennial Conference title game in program history. Bella Gattuso scored a game-high seven goals, matching her career high, including the game-winner with 40 seconds remaining in overtime to lift Haverford past its rival. The senior attacker capitalized on a player-up opportunity following a green card against Swarthmore's Claire Long to seal the victory.
Kylie McNamara added three goals, while Mikelle Smith contributed two goals and a game-best seven draw controls. Daniela Martini dished out three assists including the helper on the overtime winner—her 101st career assist, pushing her past the century mark. Swarthmore was paced by four goals apiece from Annabel Stifler and Kate Fox, while Aubree Daugherty recorded five assists.
In Lancaster, Pa., F&M downed Gettysburg 14-12 inside Shadek Stadium. Much like the regular season contest, a huge run paved the way to victory as F&M scored six consecutive goals over a span of nearly 15 minutes from the end of the first half to late in the third quarter.
In a match up of two of the most prolific point producers in Centennial Conference history, Lauren Pittman made the most headlines as she scored five goals to lead the Diplomats back to the conference championship. Sophie Harris, Alexandra Proefrock and Myranda Beebe also tallied multiple goals in the winning effort. Gettysburg countered with a more balanced approach as eight different players scored, but F&M did a good job of keeping Julia Daly in check with just two goals.
FIRST ROUND: Wednesday, Apr. 29 | Swarthmore, Pa.
#4 Swarthmore d. #5 Washington College, 16-7 | Box Score
SEMIFINALS: Friday, May 1 | at #1 & #2 seeds
#2 Franklin & Marshall d. #3 Gettysburg, 14-12 | Box Score
#1 Haverford d. #4 Swarthmore, 14-13 (OT) | Box Score
CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, May 3 | Haverford, Pa.
#2 Franklin & Marshall at #1 Haverford, 1 p.m.
