BALTIMORE, MD – The 19^th-ranked Johns Hopkins women's soccer team scored a goal in each half and the Blue Jay defense notched its 13^th shutout of the season as the Blue Jays knocked off Stevens, 2-0, in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Division III Tournament at Homewood Field Sunday night.
 
With the win, the Blue Jays advance to the Sweet 16 for the 13^th time in program history, including the fourth time in five seasons under head coach Dan Weiler.  Johns Hopkins improves to 43-20-3 all-time in the tournament, including 24-2 at Homewood Field.
 
The Blue Jays (17-4-1) had the better of the play in the opening half and capitalized on one of their two corners before the break in the 27^th minute.  Graduate student Kei Kitamura's offering into the box drifted towards the back post about four yards off the endline.  There, it was sophomore Carolyn Johnson who was able to win a header between a pair of defenders and drive home the game's first goal.
 
The one-goal lead held into the second half and it was the Ducks who had the first two good chances after the break.  In the 49^th minute, Molly McCann worked the top of the area and spun back to middle before letting a left-footed shot go that appeared destined for the back corner of the goal, only to have freshman Ella Kruntchev go low to her left to maintain the lead.  A short time later, Angela Dinh sent one over the bar from about 20 yards out before the Blue Jays tilted the field the other way.
 
Junior Caroline Marcus nearly gave the Blue Jays a two-goal lead a minute after Dinh's shot, but her 12-yard poke whistled just wide of the near post.  Three minutes later, Marcus would grab an assist on the Blue Jays' second goal as she controlled a bouncing ball in traffic before spinning a pass back to Maria Romo-Nichols, whose chip to the far post from 15 yards out eluded a diving Kenny Donley and doubled Hopkins' lead.
 
Johns Hopkins had several golden chances to increase the lead in the six minutes after the Romo-Nichols goal, but Donley turned away high offerings from Kitamura and Megha Salvi and Lena Olbrys sent one just wide of the far post from 10 yards out to keep it a two-goal game.
 
Stevens had two late chances, including a wide open look from 15 yards for senior Lauren Alley, but she fired it wide of the goal to Kruntchev's right and the Blue Jays were able to hold off the Ducks to move on in the tournament.
 
The Blue Jays advance to the round of 16, where they will take on Emory on Saturday, November 22.  The Hopkins-Emory game and the Washington & Lee-Pomona Pitzer game will comprise a four-team sectional that will be played at a location to be announced later tonight.
  Read Full Article