It was a busy week for the Hopkins women's lacrosse team, especially when trying to snap a four-game skid that had the team in turmoil. They hoped to turn things around with games against Fresno State and a highly touted Maryland team. And while the Jays were able to dazzle and ultimately overwhelm Fresno State, their game against Maryland proved to be disappointing. Despite holding down Inside Lacrosse's #2-ranked team in the nation, a big second half pushed the Terps over the Jays in a nail-biting finish Tuesday afternoon in the rain.
Before their tie with Maryland, Thursday's game against Fresno state was about as good a practice, as good a confidence builder and as good a game as the Jays could have wished for. With Fresno State playing their inaugural season in Division 1 women's lacrosse, the entire Blue Jay team took their turn on the field, displaying the skill and depth of their full line-up. Before the dust settled, the Jays had racked up 19 goals en route to a 19-0 shutout victory - the first since 2005 and one of the biggest margins of victory in school history.
In order to get a score like that, the Jays had to start early. They did just that as Sam Schrum converted a free position shot to put the Jays up 1-0 just 22 seconds into the game. Before a full minute had passed since Schrum's goal, the Jays had a 3-0 lead thanks to a pair of goals from Colleen McCaffrey, whose season total of 19 is currently second most on the Jay lineup.
From there, it was simply a matter of how much time was left, as the Jay attack ran wild on the Bulldogs, seemingly scoring at will.
All in all, 13 different Hopkins players had combined to score the 19 in the game, with Cami Kramer's three goals leading the way - her first career hat-trick. And while the veterans led the way, the underclassmen also had their time to shine, with Jay up-and-comers Alyson Friedensohn and Megan Schrum both collecting their first goals. With a win like this, the Jays were ready for the Terps.
Undaunted by the Maryland team, it would be the Jays that struck first, as Sam Schrum fed Gina Maranto from behind the net to open the scoring three minutes into the first half. And while the Terps responded with two goals of their own, the Jays remained focused. After the two teams traded goals, the Jays went on a three-goal streak, with both Sam Schrum and Colleen McCaffrey scoring goals to put the Jays up 4-3, before Rachel Serio scored the third with 21 seconds left in the first period. But that 5-3 lead was cut to 5-4 as the Terps managed to score with mere seconds left.
The Jays, however, looked far more composed than their opponents seemed to be. They were also more economical in their opportunities, converting their one free position shot and scoring five of six shots, especially impressive when compared to the bloated ratios Maryland had put up, going one for seven on free position shots and 17 shots that yielded a mere four goals. And for those shots that didn't fly high or wide, Jay keeper Julianne Wisner looked calm and collected in the net. Everything was working for the Jays as Maryland found themselves down at halftime for the first time all season.
For a moment, it seemed that the teams would treat us to more of the same after emerging from their halftime break. Ninety-one seconds into the second, it was Gina Maranto again who opened the scoring, putting the Jays up 6-4. But from there, Maryland took over the game. While the team had been sloppy in the first half, they turned it around right away in the second, as a five-goal-tear quickly turned their two-goal deficit into a three-goal lead.
And while the Jays were able to score a few goals to break the streaks, the Maryland team proved to be too much, scoring 14 goals in the second half en route to an 18-12 victory.
It was a tough loss for the Jays, who had looked like they might tarnish the Terp's undefeated record. But in the end, Maryland won its 15th straight and the Jays move to 5-9 overall. Junior Brett Bathras had a career day with four assists - a personal record as well as the first four-assist game for a Jay in two years.
The Jays have to quickly put this game behind them, as they take on the #1-ranked team in the nation in undefeated Northwestern University at Homewood Field on Friday. Gametime is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be nationally broadcast on ESPNU.
