:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47713239/haverfordstlawrence.0.0.jpg)
Haverford scored twice inside the first half hour and successfully parked the bus to top St. Lawrence 2-0 and move one win away from a trip to Kansas City, Kansas for the NCAA Division III men's soccer championships.
Senior captain Sam Yarosh stole the ball off a St. Lawrence defender near the goal line and delivered what would end up being the game-winner in the 5th minute of the game. The goal was the 17th of the season for the Centennial Conference Player of the Year.
Senior Brady Seitz headed home a Will Corkery free kick from near midfield 20 minutes later to put the Fords up 2-0 in front of a partisan crowd of close to 500 filling the stands and lining the fence at Walton Field. The two-goal cushion shifted the Fords into a defensive shell that frustrated the visitors as they pushed for a goal to get back into the game.
Chances came - the Saints had seven corner kicks for the game and four shots on goal, but Fords goalkeeper Sam Miller was up to the task, turning away four shots away to record his seventh clean sheet of the season.
The comeback trail for the visitors from Canton, New York, became a mountain when senior defender Harry Copeland was shown a red card in the 74th minute. Haverford took advantage, outshooting the Saints 5-2 the rest of the way to seal the victory.
Haverford (18-3) has a quick turnaround for their quarterfinal match, but they'll get to sleep in their dorms tonight ahead of Sunday's 1 p.m. quarterfinal against SUNY Oneonta, which beat MIT 2-0 in the other match held at Walton Field today.
Franklin & Marshall denied by Calvin in Sweet 16 loss
Franklin & Marshall's NCAA Tournament journey came to an end Friday night in Gambier, Ohio, with a 1-0 loss to the number one team in the nation in Calvin.
The Diplomats had Calvin on their heels at the end of the match - firing off six shots in the final half hour - but were unable to produce an equalizer in a game decided by a 32nd minute goal from Nick Groenewold that was deflected by an F&M defender.