WINCHESTER, VA – Five different Blue Jays scored to lead second-ranked Johns Hopkins to a 5-0 win over 18
th-ranked Lynchburg in both teams' season opener Tuesday afternoon. JHU opens the season with a win for the 14
th consecutive year.
Hopkins wasted no time getting in opening the scoring as the Blue Jays drew an early penalty corner.
Ava Zimmerman tipped a shot by
Caeli Robinson over the Hornets goalie and
Kaitlin Coward batted it in at the post just 34 seconds in. It is the fifth time under head coach
Jane Wells that the Blue Jays have scored in the opening minute of a game. It is also the fastest goal to open the game since Catie Farrow scored 23 seconds into the game versus Virginia Wesleyan on September 28, 2008.
It took nearly 26 minutes for the Blue Jays to get back on the board. Robinson did the honors when she dribbled into the Lynchburg circle, cut back on her defender and then fired a reverse past the UL goalie. Hopkins then struck three times in less than six minutes midway through the third to push its lead out to 5-0.
Sophia Albano got things going when she tipped in a cross-circle pass from Zimmerman. Just over three minutes later,
Eliza Vander one-timed a rebound off the pads of the goalie to make it 4-0.
An Tran capped the scoring with 2:30 left in the third quarter when she tipped in a nifty pass from
Ariana Ludwig.
Aubrey Kilgore got the start in the cage and finished with five saves in three quarters, while
Jessica Lapidus made four saves in one quarter. Shay Schoones totaled 11 saves through three quarters before giving way to Lila Seifert, who notched two saves in the final period.
Hopkins outshot Lynchburg, 23-10, and had a 10-3 advantage in corners. JHU's five goals are the most in seven all-time meetings with Lynchburg as the Blue Jays take a 4-3 lead in the series. In addition, the five goals are the most in a season opener since a 5-2 win at Washington & Lee on September 1, 2022.
Hopkins returns to action on Saturday, September 5 at 22
nd-ranked Messiah. Game time is slated for 1:00 pm at Anderson Field.
