College Soccer
Haverford runs unbeaten streak to 25 with win over Susquehanna
A pair of goals in a five-minute span early in the first half were all Haverford needed to cruise to yet another victory on the grass pitch of Walton Field, stretching their unbeaten streak to 25 with a 2-0 win over Susquehanna on Saturday afternoon.
In a battle of former Eastern University head coaches, first-year head coach Jeremy Payne’s River Hawks had the better of the ball early but Charles Sharp reversed that momentum in the blink of an eye with a left footed strike in the box in the 12th minute. The goal is already the fourth of the season for the second-year forward from Colorado and one shy of his 2025 total. Minutes later, shifty Japanese winger Sho Nadada was played in with a lovely ball from Aiden Lee and he finishes smoothly before running to the corner to celebrate his first goal of the season with teammates.
While the Fords (4-0-1) offense was clicking early, it was their defensive pressure and ability to possess the ball that impressed overall. Playmaking senior Thomas Vanni was pulling the strings and Sharp’s holdup play was notable while senior outside back Carter Kroenke covered ground both stalling attacks for the opponent and starting them for his teammates.Â
Even when the River Hawks found a way through the midfield, towering rookie center back Connor Gustafson and senior captain Josh Brown were there to calmly snuff out the threat. Susquehanna registered just two shots on the day and Grayson Benson had a quiet afternoon making just one save on a long range shot late in the second half to secure his third clean sheet of the season and 13th since transferring ahead of last season.
Coming off an undefeated season, the Fords under Kevin Brenner looked poised for a run at the Centennial conference title as they head into conference play at home on Saturday against Gettysburg. They’ll be back on the grass at Walton Tuesday with their final non-conference match against fellow unbeaten Delaware Valley (3-0-1).Â
