BALTIMORE, MD – The 18^th-ranked and top-seeded Johns Hopkins women's soccer team used a pair of first-half goals and a strong defensive effort to fuel a 2-0 victory over third-seeded Franklin & Marshall in the 2024 Centennial Conference championship game at Homewood Field Sunday afternoon.  With the win, the Blue Jays run their record to 15-2-3, while the Diplomats slip to 9-5-6.
 
The win gives the Blue Jays the 17^th Centennial Conference title in program history, including the 15^th tournament title.  The victory also locks up the Centennial's automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
 
The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the 19^th minute when they converted in transition.  After clearing a Diplomat free kick on the defensive end, the Blue Jays transitioned quickly and graduate student Carrie McIntire chased down a ball to the left of Diplomat goalie Lucy Fleming deep in the box.  McIntire dropped a pass back to the middle of the area, where fellow graduate student Olivia Piraino one-timed a rocket into the corner of the goal past a defenseless Fleming.
 
The Diplomats had a golden chance to pull even in the 27^th minute as they worked a ball to the edge of the top box to the left of  Blue Jay goalie Allyson Shick.  Junior Zoe Warne had time and room and ticketed one for the lower far post, but Shick went low to punch it wide and maintain the one-goal lead.
 
The one-goal lead held until the final two minutes of the half, when the Blue Jays capitalized on a late chance.  Freshman Kendall Frederick, who had come on just five minutes earlier, worked her way down the wing and fired a cross that Fleming got a hand on but wasn't able to control and Blue Jay freshman Carolyn Johnson volleyed home the loose ball from eight yards out to give the Jays a 2-0 lead going into the break.
 
While the Diplomats would collect seven of their 10 shots in the game in the second half, none was as dangerous as the Warne offering in the first half.  With the two-goal lead in-hand, the Blue Jays did a masterful job of keeping the Diplomats away and forcing long-range shots that Shick was up to all five times they put one on goal after halftime.
 
One of the anchors of the Blue Jay defense, midfielder Juliana Taxter, was named the tournament MVP.
 
Johns Hopkins held a 14-10 advantage in shots with the Diplomats taking four of the six corner kicks in the game.  Shick posted six saves and collected her second shutout of the tournament.
 
Notes:  Today's championship game appearance was the 21^st for the Blue Jays in the 23-year history of the tournament.  Johns Hopkins improved to 33-5-6 overall, 17-3-3 at home and 15-3-3 as the number one seed in the Centennial Tournament.  Today's shutout is the 12^th of the year for the Blue Jays and the 24^th in 44 all-time Centennial Conference Tournaement games.