The Basics
• Score: Johns Hopkins-10, Penn State-5
• Records: Johns Hopkins (10-7, 2-4 B1G) • Penn State (6-9, 0-6 B1G)
• Location: State College, PA • Panzer Stadium
• The Short Story:  The Johns Hopkins defense held host Penn State to one goal in the final 39 minutes of the game and the Blue Jays got a career-high four goals from sophomore Abbey Hurlbrink to fuel a 10-5 win Thursday evening at Panzer Stadium.

 How it Happened
 • The Blue Jays jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead as they scored twice in a 21-second span before the game was five minutes old.  A game-opening strike from Shelby Harrison on a roll-dodge from the top was followed 21 ticks later when Keegan Barger found Bailey Cheetham all alone in front and she easily beat Penn State goalie Ashley Bowan from the doorstep.
• The Nittany Lions had the two-goal deficit cut in half in less than two minutes as Kristin O'Neill and Ellie Hollin sandwiched goals around a tally from Hurlbrink to make it 3-2 with 8:31 to play in the first; after the teams combined for five goals in 6:29 to open the game, neither team found the net in the final 8:31.
• O'Neill scored back-to-back goals to open the second quarter to give the Nittany Lions their first lead of the game at 4-3 with 9:00 remaining in the first half.  The Penn State defense pushed Hopkins' scoreless streak to just over 22 minutes before Harrison forced a 4-4 halftime tie with her second goal of the game – this one on a free position shot – 98 seconds before halftime.
• The Blue Jays used the late second quarter goal from Harrison to ignite a three-goal run of their own that carried through nearly the entire third quarter.  A Madison McPherson bouncer under pressure at the 9:03 mark of the period was followed more than four minutes later when Hurlbrink sliced through the defense off a feed from Keegan Barger to give the Blue Jays a 6-4 lead.  Penn State's Brooke Barger closed the third-quarter scoring when she fired home her first goal of the season with 1:27 left in the period to make it a one-goal game entering the final quarter.  As it turned out, that would be the only Nittany Lion goal over the final 39 minutes of the game.
• Nursing the one-goal lead entering the final period, the Blue Jays got an unassisted goal from Maeve Barker just 61 seconds into the final period; a point-blank save from Kathleen Garvey less than two minutes later maintained the two-goal lead for the Blue Jays.
• The Blue Jays would put the game away with three goals in the final 10 minutes – one by Cheetham and two more from Hurlbrink – to account for the 10-5 final score.
 
What it Means
• The Blue Jays finish the regular season at 10-7 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten.  The Blue Jays will earn the number four seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament if Rutgers beats Ohio State later tonight and Maryland beats Michigan on Saturday afternoon.
 
• Johns Hopkins picks up its fourth consecutive win over the Nittany Lions, including its third straight in State College.
 
• Johns Hopkins reaches the 10-win mark for the 23^rd time under head coach Janine Tucker.
 
Inside the Box Score
• Both defenses were dialed in and forced extended scoreless droughts.  Penn State held the Blue Jays scoreless for a stretch of 22:22 in the first half, while the Hopkins defense held the Nittany Lions off the board for 22:33 from midway through the second quarter until late in the third.
 
• Hurlbrink rang up the career-high four goals and posted her fifth consecutive multi-goal game.  She scored six goals in the first 12 games of the season, but now has 12 goals in her last five games.
 
• Barger tied her career high with four assists.
 
• The five goals the Blue Jay defense allowed are the fewest allowed in the 25-game series against Penn State and the fewest they've allowed in any game this season.  It's also the fewest since JHU beat Towson, 10-3, on April 2, 2019.
 
 Up Next
•  If the Blue Jays qualify for the Big Ten Tournament, they will play top-seeded Maryland in the semifinals on Friday, May 6 at Rutgers.
 
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