The Hopkins field hockey team won their first Centennial Conference game and lone match of the week with a 1-0 win over Washington College on Saturday afternoon. The win makes Hopkins 4-2 on the season and 1-0 in conference play.
The team is currently in a four-way tie with Franklin & Marshall, McDaniel and Haverford for second-place in the conference.
The Blue Jays came in to Saturday's game looking for a win after their 5-0 loss to Salisbury the previous Wednesday. The team got what they were looking for after a hard-fought 70 minutes of play.
Both Hopkins and Washington College had 21 shots on goal, but only senior forward Annie Shepard was able to net one for either team. Shepard collected a rebound off of classmate and fellow forward Carly Bianco's shot on goal and put the ball past the goalkeeper for the game-winner only ten minutes into the game.
Hopkins preserved their lead for the win with strong defensive play. Senior goalie and co- captain Kim Stein had 12 saves during the game, while senior defender and co-captain Zoe Koven had a defensive save.
In addition, Hopkins led on corners, 16-12. Hopkins had 12 corners in the second half to Washington's five corners.
Bianco, who has started every game for the Jays and leads the team with 42 shots on goal, thinks the win highlighted some of the team's weaknesses but will ultimately serve as a stepping stone.
"We knew it was a big game because it was our first conference match-up," Bianco said. "Afterwards I think we all agreed we needed to control the pace of the game more as a team and work on better possession passes, but we were very pleased with the win. It definitely got us more excited for our next conference game."
Junior midfielder Liane Tellier, who is tied for third on the squad with Bianco with two goals scored this season, agreed with Bianco, saying she saw improvement from the team late in the game.
"I think we made the necessary adjustments in the second half that made our play that much better," Tellier said.
The Lady Jays are ranked 20th in this week National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Poll, slipping one spot from their prior ranking of 19th. In addition, junior forward Maggie Phillips is currently one of the conference leaders in goals per game, points per game, and game winning goals.
The team takes on two storied opponents next week, facing Muhlenberg at home on Friday, Sept. 23rd, and Christoper Newport at Captains field in Virginia on Sunday, Sept. 25th.
Hopkins leads the all-time series with Muhlenberg 15-5, but the Mules have come away with two of the last three games. Both of Muhlenberg's wins were 1-0 overtime upsets over the then highly ranked Blue Jays.
As a result, Hopkins is anxious for revenge.
"Going into Muhlenburg, we know we need to focus more on getting the ball in the cage, starting from the backfield all the way up the offensive end," Bianco said. "I definitely can say as a team we are prepared for our second conference game and cannot wait to get out there."
Tellier, too, is excited to execute the Blue Jays game plan, but knows poise will also be important.
"[We need to] work the ball to the opposite side often, always helping our teammates for small-ball play," she added. "Staying calm and focused for all 70 minutes will be key in having success on Friday."
In addition to the Muhlenberg match-up, Hopkins also has a tough past with Christopher Newport. In 2008, the Captains defeated Hopkins 3-2 in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Since then, the series has been split 1-1, with Hopkins winning an upset match last year by the same score, 3-2. It should be an exhilarating week for Lady Jay field hockey.
