March 10, 2010

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - Trailing 12th-ranked Towson by one with time winding down, Johns Hopkins got two shots off in the last 10 seconds but was unable to find the equalizer and force overtime in an 11-10 loss to the visiting Tigers Wednesday afternoon. The loss snaps the Blue Jays modest two-game win streak, while the Tigers improve to 3-0. Seniors Sam Schrum (Pasadena, MD/St. Mary's) and Paige Ibello (Cockeysville, MD/Maryvale Prep) and junior Brianna Cronin (Arlington, MA/Arlington) all notched hat tricks for Hopkins.

Down 11-9 with 6:26 to play as Hillary Fratzke capped a 6-0 Towson run, Hopkins quickly trimmed the deficit back to one just 48 seconds later. Sophomore Rachel Serio (Mt. Airy, MD/McDonogh) controlled the draw following Fratzke's goal and Cronin fired a shot on the Tiger cage, but missed wide. Schrum got the ball back for the Blue Jays, dodged across the arc and scored on a shot inside the near post for her third of the day. Sophomore Alyssa Kildare (Massapequa Park, NY/Farmingdale) controlled the draw but the Blue Jays turned it over.

Following a good clear by Towson, Kildare got the ball back for Hopkins but the Blue Jays failed to clear and Kelly Custer got a shot in tight, but missed the cage. Hopkins cleared and Cronin got a tough shot off, but Mary Teeters came up with a huge save for the Tigers. Towson was able to clear, but once again Hopkins forced a turnover and gained possession with just 2:02 to play. Hopkins had a tough time finding an opening in the Towson defense, before Hughes dodged the right side with just 10 seconds remaining. Her stick was checked mid-shot but the Blue Jays came up with the loose ball. Sophomore Candace Rossi (Farmingdale, NY/Farmingdale) cut inside and got off a contested shot as time expired. Teeters made the save and the foul on Rossi was waved off and Towson held on for the win.

It was a game of runs that saw Towson open with a 4-1 lead with four different players scoring. Hopkins got back into the game thanks to some good ground ball work. After back-to-back Teeters' saves, Ibello scooped up a loose ball and found Schrum open on the crease for her first of the day. That goal ignited an 8-1 Blue Jay run that spanned halftime and saw Hopkins take a 9-5 lead. Schrum, Ibello and Cronin combined to score seven of the eight goals during the run. Cronin capped the run when she went coast-to-coast on a clear and scored on a high-to-low shot to the left post.

The Tigers answered with a run of their own, scoring six unanswered to rally from a four-goal deficit to take a two-goal lead with 6:26 to play. Fratzke, who entered the game with a 50-game goal-scoring streak, finally got on the board and ignited the final run. She scored a pair of back-to-back free position goals, the first of five straight free position goals for the Tigers, to trim the deficit to two with 12:59 left on the clock. Steph Taylor then notched a pair free position goals, just 89 seconds apart to knot the game at nine apiece. LaMonica and Fratzke would cap the run with a pair of goals just 28 seconds apart to give the Tigers' a two-goal lead.

Hopkins' seniors did the bulk of the scoring in the loss as Schrum, Ibello and Hughes accounted for 10 of the Blue Jays 13 points. Schrum and Ibello finished with four points on three goals and one assist each. Freshman Cosette Larash (Crownsville, MD/Archbishop Spalding) totaled six saves for the Blue Jays. For Towson, Fratzke led the way with a hat trick, while Taylor also had three points (2g, 1a). Teeters made 12 saves in the cage to earn the win.

Hopkins returns to action and wraps up its five-game homestand on Saturday, March 13 against Florida in the American Lacrosse Conference opener for both teams. Opening draw at Homewood Field is slated for 1:00 pm.