Box Score Nov. 7, 2010
Box Score
CARLISLE, PA - The 14th-ranked Johns Hopkins women's soccer team took down 11th-ranked Dickinson, 3-0, on Sunday afternoon to win its sixth straight Centennial Conference Championship and secure the automatic conference bid into the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Jays have now defeated Dickinson the past three seasons in the conference title game and improve to 16-3-1 with the win, while the Red Devils drop to 15-3-1.
The Red Devils had the better of the play early on, as they recorded 10 of their 12 first half shots and three of their four first half corner kicks in the game's first 17 minutes. Senior Ashley Kunkle nearly put Dickinson on top in the 8th minute. Kunkle blasted a shot from the top of the 18-yard box that was punched wide by Blue Jay sophomore goalkeeper Meredith Maguire. In the 17th minute the Red Devils had another dangerous opportunity as junior Genevieve Olson sent a header towards goal that was swallowed up by Maguire.
In the 18th minute Hopkins turned the tide its way when the Blue Jays moved the ball into Dickinson's end on a counter attack. Senior Erin Stafford settled the ball outside the right side of the box and sent in a lofted cross that sailed just over the outstretched hands of Dickinson sophomore goalkeeper Annie Weichart. The ball bounced around in the six-yard box and freshman Pamela Vranis charged towards the loose ball and tapped home what would prove to be the game-winner to give Johns Hopkins a 1-0 lead.
The Red Devils would not go away easily as they had perhaps their finest scoring opportunity in the 21st minute. Olson ripped a dipping shot from about 20 yards out that hit the crossbar and bounced into the front of the goal where the Hopkins defense was able to clear it from danger.
The Blue Jays again bounced back from a Dickinson near-miss with a counter-attack in the 23rd minute. Senior Allie Zazzali played a ball wide to the right side to Stafford, who found junior Paulina Goodman in the center of the box. Goodman slid her eighth goal of the season past Weichart to give the Blue Jays a two goal advantage.
Hopkins came out of halftime with a 2-0 lead and the advantage of having the wind on their side in the second stanza. The Hopkins defense tightened up in the second half and held the Red Devils to only three shots after the intermission.
With just under five minutes remaining JHU stretched its lead to 3-0 on a goal by Zazzali. Freshman Kelly Baker found a hole in the Dickinson defense and fired a shot that was blocked by Weichart. Zazzali followed up on the play and was in the perfect position to clean up the mess as she knocked in her 10th goal of the year to give Hopkins the three-goal cushion.
The Blue Jays outshot the Red Devils (22-18) and held the edge in corner kicks (8-6). Maguire played the entire 90 minutes in goal for Hopkins and recorded nine saves in the win, while Weichart totaled 13 saves in net for Dickinson.
Hopkins earns the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and will make its sixth straight and ninth overall tournament appearance. The NCAA Tournament bracket is scheduled to be released Monday morning on NCAA.com. Check in to HopkinsSports.com for updates on the Blue Jays postseason schedule.
