Field Hockey Upset Bid Falls Short Against No. 8 Johns Hopkins, 2-1 (OT)
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Freshman Sophia Agathis scored with :12 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime, but it was not enough as Johns Hopkins' Brittany Bland scored in the fifth minute of overtime, leading the No. 8 Blue Jays past the Swarthmore field hockey team 2-1 (OT) on Saturday afternoon from Clothier Field.
Senior captain goalkeeper Gina Grubb was outstanding in cage for the Garnet (4-4, 1-1), recording 15 saves to put the Garnet in position for what would have been one of the biggest wins in program history.
The Garnet defense was up to the task from the get-go against the talented Blue Jays (6-1, 2-0). Despite being out-shot 8-1 on shots-on-goal in the first half, Grubb and the defense stood firm and the game entered the half at a scoreless tie.
Agathis tied the game with a goal in the final seconds.
The Blue Jays finally got past Grubb and the defense in the 50th minute of play when Bland scored the first of her two goals, taking a pass from JHU's Ali Bahneman and driving to the left of the circle and scoring the game's first goal to give the Jays a 1-0 lead.
But just when it looked as if time had run out for the Garnet, Agathis had the answer. After a corner with just :18 remaining, junior Sara McCabe set-up Agathis with an excellent pass on the left wing, where she rocketed the ball into the back of the cage to tie the game 1-1 in the final seconds.
The upset thoughts wouldn't last long for the Garnet, as Bland scored her second goal of the game in the 75th minute from directly in front of the cage, winning the game for the Blue Jays 2-1.
For the game, the Blue Jays held a 17-4 advantage in shots on goal.
The Garnet return to action on Tuesday with a home conference battle against Washington College. Action is slated to begin at 4:30 p.m.