Spicer Blasts Garnet Past #19 Johns Hopkins
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Swarthmore senior captain Summer Spicer scored two goals, including the game-winner with 1:00 left in the first overtime, leading the Garnet to a 3-2 upset victory over 19th-ranked Johns Hopkins in Centennial Conference field hockey action Tuesday evening on Clothier Field.
It is the second time in three years Swarthmore has downed the Blue Jays following a seven-game win streak by Johns Hopkins from 1998-2003.
Swarthmore (8-3 overall, 3-1 Centennial) drew first blood, scoring just 1:27 into the game. Spicer took at free hit just outside the circle and junior Abigail Fischer tipped the ball into the right side of the cage for her team-leading eighth goal of the season.
The Blue Jays (6-5 overall, 2-1 Centennial) answered back with a goal at 12:35 on a penalty corner. JHU defender Amy Soergel played the corner to the top of the circle and the Blue Jays worked the ball around to the right side. Sophomore forward Katie Wong struck a shot towards the Garnet goal and classmate Adair Landy tipped it home to knot the score at 1-1.
The Garnet re-took the lead at the end of the first half, successfully converting a penalty corner. Sophomore midfielder Ashley Gunter played the ball to the top of the circle where Spicer smoked a blast past JHU goalie Dayna Eng at 33:16. It is Spicer's third score of the season.
The Blue Jays held a 5-3 shot advantage at half and took more penalty corners as well (10-3).
Hopkins evened the score again in the 46th minute, converting another penalty corner. Junior Sarah Bender controlled the pass from Leah Horton, pushing the ball back against the grain to sophomore forward Emily Miller. Miller gathered the ball and fired the ball at the Swarthmore goal where teammate Leah Horton tipped it home.
The score remained knotted at 2-2 as the teams headed to overtime. The Blue Jays out-shot the Garnet 19-4 in regulation and attempted 21 corners to Swarthmore's four.
Eng made a big save, five minutes into the overtime, denying Spicer's blast on a penalty corner. The Blue Jays controlled play for much of the extra period, testing the Swarthmore backline of Anna Baeth '09 and Julie Monaghan '07. The Garnet got their break when Monaghan sent a clear through the midfield onto the stick of Fischer, who raced up the field and was tripped by a JHU defender at the circle. Monaghan played the ensuing penalty corner out to Spicer, who side-stepped a charging Blue Jay defender and let loose a rocket into the left side of the cage at 89:00. It is the first game-winner of the season for Spicer (third of her career) and her fourth goal of 2006.
The Blue Jays had a 7-2 edge in shots in the extra period while the corners were even at two apiece.
Lorang made seven saves for her fifth win of the season while Eng posted two saves for the Blue Jays.
Swarthmore, tied for second place in the conference with McDaniel, returns to action at 12:00 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 7 when the Garnet travel to Chestertown, Md. to take on Washington College in Centennial Conference action.