Thanks in part to a strong second half, the number 17 Hopkins women’s lacrosse team edged number 7 Loyola 11-8 last Wednesday night at Ridley Athletic Complex. The Blue Jays improved to 4-0 on the season with the win, while Loyola fell to 1-2.
Last Wednesday’s win marks the first victory for Hopkins against Loyola in the programs history. Likewise, this victory marked Coach Jane Tucker and assistant coach Tara Singleton’s first victory against their alma maters.
Sophomore Jen Cook, who has 10 goals to her credit this season, expressed her enthusiasm for the win when she said, “This win was huge for us. Getting a win against such a highly ranked team really helps with the confidence of our team, especially with how well we’ve been playing up to this point.”
Senior goalie and co-captain Cosette Larash also added, “The win against Loyola meant so much to our team and to our coaching staff. All of our dedication and hard work in the fall, winter, and preseason paid off and this win shows we can play with the ‘big dogs.’ Beating the number seven team definitely was huge for our team's confidence but it is still early in the season and we are back at it at practice this week in preparation for Northwestern.”
Coming out of half-time trailing 5-4 following a back-and-forth first half, the Blue Jays scored five unanswered goals to take a 9-5 lead. Junior Sammy Cermack started the run going with her one and only goal of the night just 1:27 into the half, extending her goal streak to 16 games.
Hopkins then converted four straight free position goals, with freshman Dene' DiMartino scoring a pair of goals, to push to a four-goal advantage with 16:06 to play. Taryn VanThof ended the Hopkins' run at 13:53 to make it a 9-6 game, ending a 17 minute scoreless drought for Loyola.
Following that goal senior Katie Duffey answered for the Blue Jays to push the lead back to four. Sydney Thomas pulled the Hounds back within three at 6:42 when her defender slipped on the turf and she went one on one with senior Cosette Larash for the score.
Just 80 seconds later, Cook took a pass from freshman Jenna Reifler and scored from the left alley and scored her second of the night to make it 11-7 Hopkins. Marlee Paton would close out the scoring with a free position goal with 1:29 to play.
In the first half, the Greyhounds scored just 6:33 into the contest. Junior Taylor D'Amore answered for the Blue Jays nearly five minutes later when she dodged from behind the cage and scored inside the right post. The goal extended her point streak to 25 straight games.
Hannah Schmitt then wrapped a pair of goals around a free position goal by DiMartino and Loyola led 3-2 with 7:28 to go in the half. Following this score Cook came back with a goal at 5:04 to tie the game once again.
However, 30 seconds later, VanThof converted a free position shot to put Loyola up 4-3. Cermack then connected with D'Amore less than a minute later to make it a 4-4 game. Loyola then scored on an unassisted goal with 58.9 seconds to play to close out the half.
The main factor in Hopkins strong second half was draw controls. After losing the draw control battle in the first half, 8-2, freshman Erica Matz came in to take the draws. She took every draw in the second half and Hopkins won the battle in the circle, 9-2, with Matz controlling four.
Cosette Larash was extremely happy with the play of Matz and the team as a whole in the second half.
“Lacrosse is all about possession. Our coaches put in Erica Matz, one of our freshmen, to take the draw. She played out of her mind in the Loyola game getting the draw controls which started our offense and resulted in goals,” Cosette stated. “Getting up a couple goals and getting draw controls put the momentum on our side and we just kept going until the game ended.”
D'Amore and DiMartino each collected hat tricks while Cook and Cermack also finished with three points apiece. Cosette finished with seven saves, five coming in the first half.
Hopkins plays again on Saturday, March 9 as the Blue Jays open American Lacrosse Conference play against fifth-ranked Northwestern on Homewood Field at noon.
