ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– Eastern University Field Hockey scored first and had a halftime lead, but the visiting Haverford College Fords (1-0) converted a penalty stroke early in the third quarter and grabbed control of the game with two goals in a three minute stretch in the middle of the fourth quarter for a 3-1 win. CJ Summa scored her first career goal and Angelina Catania turned away 13 shots.

Though the Fords controlled play early with seven first-period penalty corners, Catania and the Eastern defense held the visitors off the board with five saves and solid play at the edge of the circle.

After absorbing pressure in the early part of the second, the Eagles broke through against the run of play with a penalty corner tally. Kara Frantz drew the defense before feeding Summa at the top of the circle. The first year forward drove a low shot through traffic to put the Eagles up 1-0. The Eagles had not scored in their last three meetings against the Fords.

The Eastern defense held the Fords to only two shots and only a single penalty corner in the second quarter.

After the Fords equalized on a penalty stroke only seconds into the second half, the guests continued to put pressure on the Eastern cage without generating shots. near the midpoint of the quarter, the tide changed and the Eagles found their way onto the attack. JoEl Groff earned a penalty corner with a shot and the Eagles wound up with four penalty corners in a two-minute stretch.

Catania made a pair of strong saves at the other end before the Eagles found a great chance in transition. Frantz escaped pressure and split the entire Haverford defense to put Morgan Unruh into space. With the defense in pursuit, Unruh had to evade Haverford goalie Mary Smith to earn the circle. Her touch took her wide, and her shot pinged off the near post and wide. That play put the Eagles on the attack for the rest of the quarter.

Eastern had four penalty corners and six shots in the final five minutes. Summa fired three of those chances. Her final shot of the frame was turned away by a brilliant blocker save from Smith.

The Fords regrouped at the quarter break and immediately tilted the field the other way. With the Eagles down a player, Haverford went ahead in the 52nd minute. Three minutes later, the guests grabbed an insurance goal before salting away the final six minutes of the game with possession.

The Eagles (0-1) are at Immaculata on Wednesday.