March 29, 2014

Box Score

NASHVILLE, TN - Host Vanderbilt used a 6-0 run that bridged halftime to take control of the game and went on to defeat ninth-ranked Johns Hopkins, 12-11, in American Lacrosse Conference (ALC) action Saturday afternoon. It is the Blue Jays' first loss of the season, snapping their school Division I record for wins to start the season at 10. Hopkins falls to 10-1 on the season and 1-1 in the ALC, while Vanderbilt improves to 4-6 overall and 1-1 in the league. Four of the Commodores losses have come to teams ranked in the top 13 and today is their second win over a ranked opponent this season.

Trailing 12-8 with 12:08 to play in the game, Hopkins got three straight goals, including two from senior Taylor D'Amore to pull within on at the 2:11-mark. D'Amore got the run going as she checked the ball out of Emma Dagres' stick, scooped up the ground ball and went in all alone on Callahan Kent for the score at 8:55. Just over four minutes later, D'Amore earned a free position shot and went low on Kent, but the Vandy keeper got a foot on the ball. Sophomore Erica Matz bounced on the ground ball and quickly deposited it to pull the Blue Jays within tow. D'Amore bookended the run when she blew a shot past Kent from eight yards out with 2:11 on the clock for her fifth goal of the afternoon. Sophomore Josie George won the ensuing draw, but the Blue Jays turned it over with 1:52 to go and Vanderbilt was able to run out the clock for the win.

Vanderbilt jumped on Hopkins early, as Kelly Chandler scored back-to-back goals less than two minutes apart to give the `Dores a 2-0 lead before the game was four minutes old. The Blue Jays answered with a four-goal run that spanned nearly 20 minutes as they pushed out to a 4-2 lead. D'Amore got Hopkins on the board at 25:35 to start the run. She tripped up her defender in the back of the crease and then scored from a tight angle. D'Amore then fed sophomore Jenna Reifler, who scored on a laser from the left alley to tie the game at two at the 24:30 mark. Sophomore Dene' DiMartino then scored on a side-arm shot from seven yards out off a hard dodge to give JHU a 3-2 lead at 20:54. The pace slowed from there as neither team could find the cage for 15 minutes. D'Amore ended the drought at 5:55 with a free position goal to make the lead two.

The `Dores answered in a big way, scoring four goals in just 63 seconds to turn a two-goal deficit into a two-goal lead by the 4:03-mark. Chandler and Abby Wheeler fueled the run, as the duo combined for three goals and an assist during the spurt. Mallory Schonk capped the first half scoring with a free position goal with just 7.7 seconds remaining on the clock. Dagres opened the second half scoring when she dodged and scored high stick-side 57 seconds into the stanza.

Hopkins got back-to-back goals from senior Sammy Cermack and DiMartino to slice the deficit in half by the 24:50-mark. From behind the cage, D'Amore found a wide-open Cermack on the right post for the easy score. DiMartino then scored on a dodge from the left side to make it an 8-6 game. Vanderbilt came right back, as Schonk scored in transition on a two-on-one to push the lead back to three. Cermack answered with her second of the game at 22:58 to again cut the deficit to two. Junior Jen Cook fed a cutting Cermack, who caught and fired a beautiful shot over the shoulder of Kent.

Once again, Vanderbilt had an answer and Jill Doherty and Chandler scored back-to-back goals to stake the `Dores to a four-goal lead with 13 minutes on the clock. D'Amore got one back for the Blue Jays, scoring off the ensuing draw, but an Amanda Lockwood free position goal at 12:08 would turn out to be the difference.

D'Amore finished with five goals and two assists to move into second place in school Division I history with 258 career points. She also extended her point streak to 49 games and her assist streak to 19, breaking Mary Key's program record for consecutive games with an assist. DiMartino and Cermack added two goals apiece, while Cermack scooped up a career-high seven ground balls, caused three turnovers and controlled four draws. Junior KC Emerson finished with seven saves in taking the loss, while freshman Caroline Federico made three saves in relief. Chandler led the `Dores with four goals, while Schonk and Wheeler had two each. Ken finished with three saves to earn the win and improve to 2-0 on the season.

Hopkins returns to action on Saturday, April 5 as fourth-ranked Florida visits Homewood Field. The ALC tilt is slated for a 12:00 pm opening draw.