The women's soccer team fell to Amherst College, 2-0, in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament on Nov. 19th to conclude their season. The Lord Jeffs advanced to the quarterfinals to play regional site host Messiah, where they lost, 3-1.
Messiah advanced to the Final Four of the tournament which will be held in San Antonio, Texas this weekend.
The Blue Jays concluded their season with a historic 21-1 record. Hopkins won 21 straight games en route to the Sweet 16, including their seventh straight Centennial Conference championship, setting school records for longest win streak and best season record. The Blue Jays also have a 17-game regular season winning streak from this season that will still be active going into next year. In addition, the team was ranked as high as fourth in the nation during the season, tying the school record for the team's highest national ranking.
Individual accolades have been rolling in for Hopkins since the conclusion of the season as well.
Senior captains Erica Suter and Pam Kopfensteiner, along with senior goalkeeper Kristen Redsun, were recently named to the Academic All-District team and all three received Academic All-American honors as well.
It was the first time in school history that more than one member of the team was named Academic All- American in the same season.
Suter was also named the Centennial Conference's Player of the Year. With 50 points (goals and assists) this season, Suter shattered the single-season points record. The forward, who is a four-time All- Centennial selection, also holds the records for career points (138), career goals (54), career assists (130) and single-season assists (14).
Senior defender Jessica Hnatiuk and freshman forward Hannah Kronick were also named first team All-Centennial. Sophomore midfielder Pamela Vranis, senior forward Paulina Goodman and Redsun were named second team selections.
Head Coach Leo Weil, who just completed his 20th season coaching at Hopkins, was named Coach of the Year by the Centennial Conference. It was the second time in his tenure that Weil has received the honor.
The Blue Jays hosted the Centennial Conference tournament and the opening round of the NCAA tournament this year due to their regular season success. In the conference tournament, Hopkins defeated Haverford, 3-0, in their semifinal match to advance to the finals and face second-seeded Gettysburg.
Gettysburg, who had been dominated by Hopkins the week before in a 6-1 Blue Jay victory, came out strong but Hopkins battled back and emerged victorious with a 2-0 win. By claiming the championship for the seventh straight year, the Blue Jays were the Centennial Conference's automatic qualifier for the NCAA tournament.
In the first round of the tournament Hopkins faced Eastern Connecticut State, the Little Ten's automatic qualifier. The Blue Jays won easily, 6-1. They then advanced to the second round and played Springfield College, where Goodman had a hat trick en route to a 4-1 victory.
This was the Blue Jays' ticket to the Sweet Sixteen. The highly anticipated match versus Amherst was initially supposed to be held at Hopkins, but due to the Messiah men's soccer team being upset in their NCAA second round match the tilt was moved to Grantham, PA.
Amherst and Hopkins were both undefeated entering their matchup. The game was close with the teams tied 0-0 at the half, but Amherst capitalized on two scoring opportunities in the middle of the second half and did not look back.
Hopkins finished the game with the advantage in corner kicks, 9-6, and Amherst led in shots, 15-11. Hopkins has now made four consecutive appearances to the Sweet 16 and looks to return next year in as magical of a fashion.
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