Oct. 25, 2006

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - For the second time in three games, the Johns Hopkins field hockey (12-5, 8-1) team had to battle back from an early two-goal deficit. On Wednesday afternoon, the Blue Jays rallied for a 3-2 win over the McDaniel Green Terror (9-8, 6-3) in a Centennial Conference match-up at Homewood Field. The win sets up a showdown between Hopkins and Ursinus on Saturday for the conference regular season title and #1 seed for next weekend's tournament.

The Green Terror jumped on Hopkins quickly, scoring two goals in the first four minutes of action. Colleen Nugent struck first at 3:12 off an assist from Caitlin Porter. Just 38 seconds later, Brooke Dixon scored unassisted to give the visitors a 2-0 lead. Hopkins answered at 9:05 when junior Sarah Bender (Mattapoisett, MA/Tabor Academy) batted home a shot by sophomore Leah Horton (Wayne, PA/Upper Merion Area). It was Bender's fifth goal in the last three games.

Sophomore Katie Wong (Los Angeles, Ca/Harvard-Westlake) then tied the game up for the Blue Jays at 25:29 with her eighth of the season. She collected a long pass, beat the goalie and then lifted the ball into an open McDaniel net to knot the score at 2-2.

Junior Emily Miller scored her team-leading 15th goal of the season when she buried a loss ball into the back of the net 10:30 into the second half to give Hopkins a 3-2 lead over McDaniel. The Hopkins defense then shutdown the Green Terror offense and held on for the win. Freshman Chantal Serle (Columbus, OH/The Columbus Academy) made four defensive saves to lead the defense in front of senior goalie Dayna Eng (Ellicott City, MD/Centennial). Eng finished with five saves for the win. Green Terror goalie Erika Wawzyanick finished with two saves in the loss.

Miller's goal gave her 40 points on the season, making her just the third player ever to notch 40 or more points in a single season. It also extended her point streak to eight consecutive games.

Hopkins returns to action on Saturday, October 28 as the Blue Jays visit the Ursinus Bears. The Blue Jays sit in second place with 16 points. The Bears are atop the conference standings with 18 points. The winner will win the regular season title and as the #1 seed will host the Centennial Conference Tournament.