The Hopkins women’s soccer team ended their storied run at the NCAA Division III National Championship this past weekend with a loss to the top-ranked, defending national champion, Messiah.
Although the Blue Jays did not make it to the championship round, their playoff push was valiant. The Blue Jays had four ACL tears in just one season, with two sophomores and two juniors falling to the injury.
Senior goalie Meredith Maguire remarked, “This season was not our easiest, but it was actually one of my favorites. This is the closest our team has ever been and we were all really proud that we made it that far in the playoffs considering all the injuries that we had this year.” The Blue Jays finished the season 18-5-1 with a remarkable run at the national championship.
In the Sweet 16, the Blue Jays showed their talents against unbeaten Lynchburg. The Hornets came into the match with a record of 21-0-3 and ranked fifth in the nation. Hopkins knew it was going to be a tough match up but their resilience prevailed with a shocking victory over Lynchburg.
Coming into the game, the Hornets only allowed two goals in a game just twice the whole season, but it was apparent the Blue Jays had other plans. Kelly Baker led the charge for the Blue Jays with an opening goal in the 19th minute. Sophomore Hannah Kronick led a cross to Baker and she fired her ninth goal of the season. The Blue Jays led 1-0 until 90 seconds before halftime, when junior Jenny Hall took a loose ball and fired it into the net for her second goal of the season. The Blue Jays took a commanding lead into halftime and the Hornets found themselves in uncharted territory.
However, the Hornets were not going away quietly. They knew it was do or die for their squad as well and this motivation led to an early second half strike. Lynchburg’s Angela Bosco cut the deficit in half with a header just two minutes into the second half. However, this was as close as the Hornets would get. Hopkins regained their two goal lead when sophomore Emily Nagourney launched a free kick into the top left corner for her second goal of the season.
Senior goalie Meredith Maguire had four saves on the day to complete a game that was statistically defensive dominant, despite the four goals being scored. Maguire also added, “Everyone was really excited that we beat Lynchburg and it really meant a lot to us.” The Blue Jays defeated an undefeated Lynchburg team to move onto the next round, something they failed to do last year.
Top ranked Messiah stood between the Blue Jays and a Final Four birth. The Jays knew this would be a daunting task but their early play was strong and led to a competitive first half.
Despite the ability of the Falcons offense to muster up nine shots, none reached the back of the net and the match was tied going into halftime. Holding the Falcons’ high powered offense scoreless in the first half set the tone for a competitive second half, but eventually they were able to let loose and the goals came quickly.
The Falcons notched the first goal in the 59th minute and did not look back. In just minutes later, they netted a second goal and took a 2-0 lead. The Falcons sealed the victory with a third and final goal of the day to ensure a 3-0 victory over the Blue Jays.
The Falcons defense played outstanding and did not allow a shot by Hopkins until the 72nd minute. The Blue Jays could not get anything going offensively, ultimately leading to their defeat and the end of their playoff push.
Although the Blue Jays did not make it past Messiah and into the Final Four, their playoff run was truly remarkable with all of the adversity the team had faced throughout the season. The Blue Jays did not give up with four players sidelined with season ending injuries, but rather fought through it and made it to the Elite Eight. The team is more than capable of building off their resilience and chemistry which they displayed this season and carry it into next season. The Jays have now reached the Sweet 16 in each of the last four years and the Elite Eight in three out of their past four seasons.
