BALTIMORE, MD –
Sophia Albano scored both goals to lead Johns Hopkins to a 2-1 win over 12
th-ranked Franklin & Marshall in the Centennial Conference Semifinals Thursday night at Homewood Field. The Blue Jays improve to 15-4 while the Diplomats slip to 14-5.
Hopkins advances to the Centennial Conference Championship for the ninth straight year and 17
th overall. Albano's two goals tie her career high and is the first multi-goal game in the tournament since Lila Slattery had two on November 9, 2024.
Albano put the Blue Jays on the board early in the second quarter as they capitalized in transition.
Ava Zimmerman intercepted a pass just around midfield and quickly found
Kaitlin Coward. She took a touch and then split a pair of defenders with a pass to spring Albano. She sidestepped a defender and then went in all alone on Megan Dole, slotting a low shot under the keeper just 2:27 into the quarter.
Hopkins doubled its lead midway through the third and once again it was Albano doing the honors. She inserted just the third corner for the Blue Jays, sending the ball to the
Caeli Robinson at the top of the circle. Robinson settled the ball and fired a low shot towards the left post, where Albano tipped it home.
Franklin & Marshall ended JHU's bid at a shutout with 2:45 to play in the third, cashing in on a sequence of three straight shots. After a
Jessica Lapidus save, Bella Konchar took a shot that was blocked. Hannah Fitzergald then corralled the rebound and fired a shot into the top of the cage to make it a 2-1 game. The Dips had another look at cage 84 seconds later, but Lapidus turned it away. F&M drew three corners in the fourth, including one with 23 ticks on the clock, but could only manage one shot that was blocked.
Hopkins finished with a 9-8 edge in shots and a 5-4 edge in corners.
Aubrey Kilgore played the first half and was not forced to make save, while Lapidus made three in the second half. Dole finished with four saves for the Diplomats.
Hopkins will take on the winner of Swarthmore and Ursinus in Saturday's championship. Game time is slated for 12:00 pm at Homewood Field.
