For more than a decade, Haverford men’s lacrosse has struggled to find sustained success. The program’s last winning season was in 2011, and they have been searching for another winning identity for years. In the spring of 2024, under the leadership of first-year head coach Richard Carrington, signs of potential finally began to emerge. In his first season at the helm, Carrington’s high-tempo offensive system helped the Fords break the school record for goals in a season, offering a glimpse of what could be.
Now, in the spring of 2025, Haverford is turning that potential into results. A roster featuring 15 seniors has powered the team to its best five-game start in seven years. Their only loss so far came in a hard-fought 9-7 battle against nationally ranked No. 15 St. John Fisher University. Senior captain Matt Richards leads the charge, currently topping the Centennial Conference in total goals this season with 14.
He is joined by fellow senior captains, Long Stick Midfielder Sean McHugh and Defender Jason Bosari, who set the tone with aggressive defense—McHugh by forcing turnovers and sparking transition offense, and Bosari by anchoring the backline with strong matchups and communication. Senior Jacob Abraham reinforces their efforts in goal, leading the conference in saves per game and ranking second in save percentage. Most recently, Haverford secured a thrilling win over Stockton University in a barn burner, with Richards contributing two goals.
Richards attributes much of the team’s early success to a complete buy-in to the core values that Carrington instilled in the fall.“I think there are a lot of different attributes of this team that are contributing to our success,” Richards said. “But most importantly, this team’s willingness to buy into our core values has been essential. We preach Drive, Nurture, and Adapt as our core values and place our ability to do these above all else. Everyone has bought into making our core values a reality on and off the field this season.”
That commitment has helped Haverford continue to embrace Carrington’s fast-paced philosophy, which allowed them to rewrite the school record books last season. Richards, who has thrived in the system, was eager to carry that momentum into his final collegiate season.
“So excited!” Richards said when asked how he feels about playing in an up-tempo offense. Richards continued to praise Carrington’s approach saying, “He brings a passion to the game that brings us together and challenges us to be better, and be leaders, day in and day out.”
In his second year with the program, Carrington has built trust with his players, which has helped accelerate the team’s growth. While the transition wasn’t always easy, Richards noted that the Fords now fully believe in their process.
“I think there is more confidence and trust,” Richards said. “The adjustment was steep originally because we do some unorthodox things in practice to get us ready to play. But everyone on the team is confident in what we do and why we do it! We trust our methodology.”
Carrington’s primary emphasis has been developing leaders on the field. Rather than micromanaging, Carrington has placed his players in situations where they must think on their feet and adapt under pressure—skills that translate directly to game situations.
“One of Coach Carrington’s goals has been to make each of us a leader in our own way,” Richards said. “By constantly putting us in situations on the field where we need to make decisions, problem solve, and work as a group, we are consistently evolving as leaders and players. He gives us autonomy while adding different constraints, which we need to figure out how to work with and around. This approach develops our adaptability, and in turn, we can apply this in-game when unpredictability hits.”
As a senior captain, Richards is helping ensure that his teammates remain focused on the process rather than getting ahead of themselves.“We are all taking it day by day right now, focusing on what we can control,” Richards said. “We are lucky to have a team full of guys who believe in each other and our process.” That process will be tested soon, as the Fords still have three more matchups against ranked opponents—each coming in conference play. Haverford will host No. 10 Gettysburg before traveling to face No. 14 Dickinson and No. 13 Swarthmore, matchups that will help determine just how far this program has come under Carrington’s leadership.
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