By Owen Kutlu, Staff Writer
The conditions were damp and unpleasant at Swan Field in Haverford, PA on Saturday, Sept. 23. Nevertheless, the Bullets hit the road to take on a valiant Haverford College squad under the lights in the pouring rain.
The game went about as one would expect from two tough conference foes. The action was quick and very back and forth, with both sides remaining fiercely competitive throughout.
It was Gettysburg who struck first. In the thirteenth minute, the Bullets were awarded a corner kick. Zoe Want ’25 sent a looping ball towards the front of the box and Elise Fox ’26 ran under it, got her head on the ball, and powered it towards the back of the net. This was Fox’s second goal of the season.
The defense on both teams stood out for the majority of the game, as there were limited goal-scoring chances allowed in either direction.
However, with just under ten minutes to go in the first half, Haverford was able to even it up with a beautiful long-range teardrop shot over the head of the Gettysburg goalie. Both sides remained knotted at one until the whistle blew for halftime.
The Fords and Bullets came out aggressive to begin the second half. There were numerous fouls committed by both squads as they tried to make different plays to shift the balance of power in their favor.
The competitive nature remained as time on the clock kept ticking, but nobody could find a good look at a goal. Alex Jurow ’27 held down the fort in net for the Bullets, coming up with two crucial saves in the second half.
Throughout the whole affair, it was obvious that Gettysburg and Haverford were extremely evenly matched and the game could have gone either way on any given day. It very well looked like the result of the game could be headed towards a draw.
The ground was getting slicker with every passing second, which led to some unorthodox bounces and flying bodies. There was a clear determination to win from both teams as the game neared a finish. They were itching for one more opportunity—and that is just what Gettysburg got. With one minute remaining, it was once again Want lining up for a Bullet’s corner kick. This was likely going to be the final chance to break the tie.
Want sent the ball in as the time remaining switched from minutes to seconds. The ball landed in the middle of the box and there was a mad scramble from all players on the field. After bouncing around for what felt like an eternity, the ball landed at the feet of Gettysburg’s captain Morgan Hobson ’24, and she played it towards her teammate, Petra Brown ’26. Brown loaded up and tucked away her first career goal to give Gettysburg the lead with less than 30 seconds left.
The Gettysburg bench erupted because they knew at this point that they were going to return home victorious. The last few seconds were essentially just a formality, and soon the celebration ensued.
Despite the gloomy weather, the Bullets made it a night to remember. Gettysburg hopes to carry this impressive win with them through the rest of the season as a reminder that if they play hard until the final whistle, good things will happen.
The Bullets look to keep up the momentum in a tilt against the Catholic Cardinals on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. in Washington, DC.
