BALTIMORE – Sarah Cooper scored the game-winning goal,
Cassandra Conklin recorded her fourth shutout of the season, and the Swarthmore College field hockey team defeated No. 5 Johns Hopkins University, 1-0, in an overtime thriller on Saturday afternoon to take over first place in the Centennial Conference.
The Garnet snapped the Blue Jays' 47-game Centennial Conference regular season win streak, the longest regular season win streak in conference history. Swarthmore dealt Johns Hopkins its first Centennial regular season loss since October 27, 2018. It was the Blue Jays' first defeat in a Centennial regular season home contest since October 14, 2016.
In addition, the victory marked the Garnet's first against Hopkins since 2011 and Swarthmore's first win versus the Blue Jays at Homewood Field since 1996.
The Garnet dominated play in regulation, holding advantages in shots (7-3) and penalty corners (4-1) through the first four quarters. Overall, the Swarthmore defense held Hopkins to season lows in shots (5), shots on goal (2), and penalty corners (1). It was the Blue Jays' first loss to an unranked opponent since September 17, 2022 and their first such loss at home since September 27, 2017.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- All of the action in the opening quarter happened at the Hopkins end of the field. The Garnet came out with a purpose, recording all five shots and two penalty corners in the period. Four of the shots were stopped by the goalkeeper and one went wide.
Katherine Kohn registered two of the chances on a breakaway and the goalie came up with two sprawling stops. The keeper laid out for another save on
Magdelana Jordan in the sixth minute then stoned
Emma Duffield on the doorstep late in the frame.
- The Hopkins defense tightened in the second, allowing just one shot by Swarthmore. The Blue Jays tallied their first shot of the contest during the quarter but it went wide.
Sophia Hitchingham had the lone chance for the Garnet but was stopped in tight by the goalkeeper.
- Hopkins generated the only shot of the third quarter but put it wide. Swarthmore earned a penalty corner during the period but was unable to record a shot off the opportunity.
- The Garnet's only shot of the fourth went wide just over three minutes in. With Swarthmore shorthanded due to a yellow card, the Blue Jays challenged Conklin for the first time with just seconds to go in regulation. A cross was sent into the scoring area and the ball was slowed by a deflection. A Hopkins forward was able to bat the ball towards the cage just before it hit the ground and Conklin made a diving save to her right to keep the game scoreless and send it to overtime.
- Conklin came up huge again five minutes into the extra session. A Blue Jays attacker got free in the scoring area and sent a hard hit towards the cage. It deflected off a Garnet defender and changed direction but Conklin was still able to get in front of it. The ball went off of Conklin towards a charging Hopkins player in front of the left post. The Blue Jay extended and batted the ball towards the goal line but Conklin was able to dive back and keep it out.
- Swarthmore won the game on a sequence in the 69
th minute. The Garnet were awarded a penalty corner and the ball was sent up top to Hitchingham. Hitchingham dribbled to her right to try to open up a shooting lane around a defender. Another Blue Jay came out to challenge Hitchingham and attempted to poke away the ball. However, she missed and ended up colliding with Hitchingham, drawing a penalty stroke. Cooper came in to take the stroke and beat the keeper to the right side with 1:28 remaining in overtime for the historic victory.
GARNET LEADERS
Goals: Cooper 1
Shots: Hitchingham, Kohn, Jordan 2
Saves: Conklin 2
UP NEXT
Swarthmore (11-6, 7-1 Centennial) wraps up the regular season with a two-game homestand starting on Wednesday versus Washington College.
