EVANSTON, IL – Northwestern used a 5-1 run that bridged halftime to take control en route to a 16-12 win over Johns Hopkins Sunday afternoon. The Blue Jays fall to 10-3 overall and 3-2 in the Big Ten while the Wildcats improve to 8-3 and 2-1.
Noel Cumberland scored with just 41.7 seconds remaining in the second to send Northwestern into the half with an 8-7 lead. That goal also sparked a 5-1 Wildcats' run as they pushed out to a 13-8 lead late in the third.
Sally Zinsner scored on a free position midway through the quarter for the Blue Jays' goal during that run.
Sienna Chirieleison then halted the run with back-to-back goals, bridging the quarter break to make it 13-10 at the 13:30-mark.
The pace slowed over the ensuing 11 minutes, and it was goals from Annabel Child and Taylor that pushed NU's lead to 15-10 with 5:51 to play.
Ava Angello caught a
Samantha DiCarlo pass in traffic and went over the top to make it a four-goal game at 2:23. Madison Epke answered as the clock ticked under a minute before Angello scored with her back to the goal 20 seconds later and that would do it.
Maddie Epke put the Wildcats on the board early, but Angello and
Taylor Hoss answered with goals just 30 seconds apart to put the Blue Jays up 2-1 at the 10:17-mark. Taylor then sandwiched a pair of goals around a Taylor Lapointe score as Northwestern grabbed a 4-2 lead with 1:54 to play in the first.
Paige Willard went top shelf off the dodge at 1:30 and less than 34 seconds later,
Lacey Downey blew home an eight meter to knot the score at four. Chirieleison then opened the second with a quick finish off a Downey helper and Hopkins led 5-4 at 9:30 in the second. The Wildcats answered with three straight to go up 7-5 six minutes later. Downey and Hoss came right back with a pair of goals 62 seconds apart and just like that it was a tie game with 1:28 left in the half.
Downey led the Blue Jays with six points on two goals and four assists to go with four ground balls. Angello and Chirieleison notched hat tricks while Hoss added a two-goal game.
Laurel Gonzalez controlled a game-high eight draws.
Reagan O'Brien caused four turnovers and picked up four ground balls.
Epke (5g, 2a) and Taylor (6g) combined for 13 points to lead the Wildcats. Epke also controlled six draws and Madison Smith had seven. Jenika Cuocco notched 11 saves in the cage.
Hopkins returns to action on Saturday, April 4 as the Blue Jays travel to Eugene, OR to take on the Oregon Ducks. Opening draw at Pape Field is slated for 12:00 pm PT.
Notes: Gonzalez is now tied for third in Johns Hopkins history with 240 career draw controls.
