Field Hockey outshot by Gettysburg Bullets

The No. 18 ranked Blue Jays closed out their regular season with a loss on Tuesday, as they fell to Gettysburg 2-1 on the road.

The loss gave the Jays a 11-8 overall record for the season. They will next compete at the Centennial Conference Tournament that will be held at McDaniel College in Westminster, Md. this weekend.

In Tuesday's game, the Jays fell behind early and trailed 2-0 at the end of the half. But Hopkins rebounded in the second half and looked to be mounting a comeback. Sophomore defender Jen Rolston scored her first career goal, thanks to an assist by junior forward Jenny Farrelly.

But the Jays were unable to score again and they ended up losing by 2-1.In a lost cause, senior goalkeeper Missi Schafhauser made five saves but the Jays were outshot 12-8.The game culminated a mixed week for the Jays.

After defeating No. 12 McDaniel College last Tuesday night, the Johns Hopkins Field Hockey team was handed its second conference defeat by the Muhlenberg Mules last Saturday.

The Blue Jays kept the game close, but ended up getting shut out 2-0 by Muhlenberg College, which improved to 5-3 in the Centennial Conference. After this loss the Blue Jays stand at 11-7, 6-2 in their conference. They are tied for second place in the conference going into the playoffs.

After this week's play, the Blue Jays rose in the rankings to No. 18 from No. 20 the previous week.

As always, the Blue Jays' defense played a spectacular game against Muhlenberg. Senior goalkeeper and co-captain Missi Schafhauser recorded five saves for the Jays and Hopkins kept the ball off of their end of the field for the most part.

The shot count was almost even with the Mules holding a narrow 16-14 advantage. Hopkins even led 11-5 in penalty shots. The only goals of the game, though, were scored by Muhlenberg forward Kristen Bruschi. Her first goal came with 8.30 remaining in the first half with an assist by Lauren Jacobs.

She added a second goal with about 15 minutes left in the game. This proved to be sufficient to win the game for the Mules, as the Blue Jays could not manage to score a goal off of Muhlenberg goalkeeper Josie Fasolino.

The players admit that they may have taken Muhlenberg a bit too done a fine job. At times they can be inconsistent, but they have improved with every game," said Coach Matt Smith.

Last Wednesday's game against Gettysburg was a very different story than the F&M match, with a similar result -- Hopkins on top.

On a cold, rainy night at Homewood, the Blue Jays needed six goals to put away a relentless Gettysburg squad, 6-4.The game truly tested the Blue Jays' resilience, but they certainly passed the test, coming from behind early in both halves to run away with the win. Not until after a Chad Tarabolous goal in the 68th minute did Hopkins have the lead for good.

The Bullets of Gettysburg scored early, beating Kane in the 12th and 16th minutes. Turnovers deep in the Hopkins defense cost the team dearly, as both goals were consequences of sloppy play and a failure to clear the ball downfield.

Despite the early setbacks, Hopkins responded, getting quick goals from senior midfielder Adam Hack, Grosser and Tarabolous' first of two on the evening. By the 30th minute the Blue Jays held a lead that they maintained until halftime.

The Bullets came out of the locker room ready to play, scoring just 45 seconds into the half to tie the match.Gettysburg pulled ahead in the 58th minute off a corner kick. However, their lead lasted but three minutes, as Rob Morrison converted on a 35-yard shot that slipped through the Bullet goalkeeper's hands.

In the 68th minute, Tarabolous carried the ball across the attacking zone and scored on a shot as he slipped and slid on the wet turf. Senior midfielder Matt Weill added an insurance goal in the 84th minute off a free kick awarded to Hopkins when the Gettysburg keeper stepped outside the box with the ball. Despite the difficult conditions, Kane managed to record seven saves as he and the Blue Jays came away with the important win.

Kane will need to be on top of his game this weekend, as the Blue Jays host the Centennial Conference Men's Soccer Tournament at Homewood Field. The Jays will play at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, with the final to be played on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.