BALTIMORE, MD – The ninth-ranked Johns Hopkins women's soccer team used a goal midway through the second half to fuel a 1-0 victory over visiting McDaniel in the Centennial Conference Semifinals at Homewood Field Friday night.  The Blue Jays advance to Sunday's championship game, where they will face Franklin & Marshall, which topped Swarthmore, 1-0, in the other Centennial Semifinal on Friday evening.
 
Sunday's championship game will take place at Johns Hopkins' Homewood Field at 1 pm.
 
After controlling the game for long stretches, the Blue Jays finally broke through in the 65^th minute when junior Katie Sullivan scored her 14^th goal of the season to give Hopkins what proved to be the only goal of the game.  Sullivan collected a feed along the sideline, worked to the middle of the field and was able to get her left foot free from 20 yards out and ripped a shot just inside the near post past the outstretched hands of McDaniel goalie Lauren Hoolahan.
 
The Blue Jays continued to pressure for the next 15 minutes before working possession down the stretch to hold off the Green Terror.  McDaniel registered just two second-half shots, neither of which was on goal, as the Blue Jays snapped their 11-match unbeaten streak.
 
The first 45 minutes solved nothing as the teams went to the break scoreless.  The Blue Jays had a majority of the play in the first half with 66% of the possession.  They took 10 of the 13 shots recorded before the break and all three corner kicks, but couldn't solve Hoolahan, who posted a pair of first-half saves.
 
McDaniel (11-3-5) had the best opportunity to score in the first half as a Blue Jay turnover left Elaina Kluttz alone in the middle of the field at the top of the box, but her 18-yard offering was directed right at Hopkins goalie Eva Breiland, who recorded one her three first-half saves on the shot.
 
Johns Hopkins ended the game with an 18-5 advantage in shots and held a 6-2 margin on corners.  Breiland recorded three saves – all in the first half – to record her seventh solo shutout of the season.
 
The Blue Jays advanced to the title game for the 20^th time in the 22 years that the Centennial Conference has hosted the conference tournament.  Johns Hopkins improved to 18-1-3 all-time in the Centennial Semifinals with tonight's victory and the Blue Jays are 12-4-3 all-time in the title game.