April 8, 2007

Final Stats

NASHVILLE TN - The #13 Johns Hopkins women's lacrosse team rallied with five goals in the second half to force overtime at #19 Vanderbilt Sunday. However, a Commodores' goal with just 48 seconds remaining in the second overtime gave Vanderbilt an 11-10 win in American Lacrosse Conference action in Nashville. It was the Commodores' (8-4, 2-1 ALC) first win over the Blue Jays (6-5, 1-1 ALC) since 2002.

Hopkins struck first when senior attacker Mary Key (Stevensville, MD/St. Mary's) scored just 29 seconds in. Vanderbilt came right back though, scoring three unanswered to take a 3-1 lead with 15:06 to play. Sophomore attacker Gina Maranto (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) made it a one-goal game just over a minute later, scoring her first of the season. The Hopkins defense forced a turnover and junior middie Kirby Houck (Baltimore, MD/Garrison Forrest) came up with the ground ball. She found Key in transition, who in turn found Maranto wide-open on the right post for the score.

The Blue Jays then tied the game at 3-3 with 10:50 to play when fifth-year senior Sarah Walsh (Port Washington, NY/P.D. Schreiber) found the twine for her 15th of the season. Walsh curled around the right side of the Commodores' cage, beat her defender and scored on a low shot. Once again, Vanderbilt responded with a three-goal run, pushing out to a 6-3 lead heading into the half.

The Blue Jays came out quick to start the second half and cut the Commodores lead to two just 2:32 in. Key scored on a free position for her 41st of the season. Vanderbilt came back with two quick goals from Nicole Pugno and Margie Curran to make it an 8-4 lead with 26:35 to play. Key found the twine for Hopkins for her third of the day just over four minutes later, cutting it to three.

Sarah Downing came back with her second of the day for Vanderbilt with 19:50 to play. Hopkins responded with a 5-1 run over the next 17:36 to tie the game at 10-10 with 2:24 to play. Junior middie Lauren Schwarzmann (Sykesville, MD/Century) and Key combined for five goals during the span with Schwarzmann getting the tying goal with 2:24 on the clock. With Key's fourth goal of the day, she broke the Hopkins all-time career goals record of 209.

Hopkins appeared to score the winner with just four seconds showing on the clock when Walsh scored on an assist from Key. But Vanderbilt called for a stick check and Walsh's goal was taken off the board and the teams headed for overtime. Key had a chance in the first overtime, but her shot ricocheted off the left post for the only shot in the first overtime for either team. In the second overtime, Vanderbilt's Kendall Thrift drove hard to the Hopkins cage and fired a low shot that eluded freshman goalie Lizzie O'Ferrall (Baltimore, MD/Mount DeSales Academy) for the win.

Key finished with a game-high five goals for Hopkins, while Schwarzmann was the only other Blue Jay with a multi-goal game (3). Key also tallied an assist, tying her for second all-time in NCAA Division I history with 132 in her career. Curran led the Commodores with four. O'Ferrall finished with four saves in the loss for Hopkins, while Brooke Shinaberry had 11 for Vanderbilt.

Hopkins returns to action on Wednesday, April 11 when UMBC visits Homewood Field. The game is set for 4:00 pm.