BALTIMORE, MD – In a matchup of top-25 women's soccer teams at Homewood Field Saturday afternoon, it was visiting and 21st-ranked Swarthmore getting a pair of second-half goals to knock off 24^th-ranked Johns Hopkins, 2-1, in the Centennial Conference opener for both teams.
 
The win bumps the Garnet to 4-1-2 overall and 1-0 in the Centennial, while the Blue Jays had a two-game winning streak snapped and slip to 4-3-1 overall and 0-1 in the CC.
 
Johns Hopkins generated seven of the game's eight shots in the opening 45 minutes and netted the only goal before the break in the 33^rd minute when senior Natalie Smith converted a feed from Megha Salvi to open the scoring.  Salvi controlled a feed in the middle of the field and quickly found Smith to her left near the top of the box.  Smith settled the feed and one-timed a left-footer inside the near post to break the ice.
 
Swartmore's Dahlia Bedward made three saves before halftime to keep it a one-goal game and the Garnet didn't waste time pulling even in the second half.
 
Junior Ava Gizzie needed just 65 seconds after the break to pull the Garnet level as she capitalized on a failed clearing attempt in the box by the Blue Jays and rocketed a shot home.  Johns Hopkins had a chance to clear a loose ball in the box, but the clearing attempt deflected of Gizzie, who quickly turned and fired home the game-tying goal.
 
The 1-1 tie held for more than 20 minutes despite constant pressure from the Blue Jays, who would pepper the Garnet with 15 second-half shots, but couldn't solve Bedward, who posted eight saves in the final 45 minutes.
 
Swarthmore broke the tie at the 68-minute mark when Stella Saad netted what proved to be the game-winner.  As the Blue Jays tried to build out of the back, Saad intercepted a Blue Jay pass in the middle of the field just outside the box.  With Blue Jay goalie Ella Kruntchev caught off her line, Saad lofted a 20-yard shot into the open goal to make it 2-1.
 
Bedward would seal the victory with four saves in the final 18 minutes, including one on the final offering from Kei Kitamura from distance with 30 seconds remaining.

Johns Hopkins held a 22-5 advantage in shots and collected five of the seven corners in the game, but Bedward's effort in goal kept the Blue Jays off the board after Smith's first-half tally.
 
Johns Hopkins will return to action on Wednesday, September 24 when the Blue Jays make the short trip to Westminster to take on McDaniel.