The Blue Jays dispatched the Fords 2-0, moving their record to 11-1-2 on the season, including a perfect 6-0 in the Centennial Conference. Haverford dropped to 8-3-2, including a mark of 3-2-1 in conference play.
The Blue Jays opened the game with a bang, going up only two minutes into the contest. Senior midfielder Ana Bengoechea took a corner from the back post, delivering a strike across the field that was headed by senior Meg Van de Loo into the back of the net. The goal in the second minute would prove to be decisive, as it gave the Jays a lead they would not relinquish.
The Jays would carry the 1-0 lead into the locker room at halftime, playing with control and dominating the tempo of the first period.
Hopkins retained this momentum during the second half of play, pushing their lead to 2-0 on a strike from Bengoechea in the 65th minute.
Van de Loo found her teammate for the score, as the duo combined for another goal and Van de Loo secured an assist for the Jays.
The Jays displayed their dominance in the second half, recording 10 shots and managing to land six on goal.
Meanwhile, the Fords had only one shot during the period, which was corralled by senior goalkeeper Clara Aranguren, for the save.
Perhaps most impressively, this was the first contest this season where the Fords have conceded more than one goal.
Aranguren notched her first shutout of the season with the victory and discussed what the win means for the Jays as they head into the final stages of the 2016 season.
“This week's win was very important to keep the momentum going into the last three games of the season,” Aranguren said. “Our final three opponents will not be easy so it is very important for us to go into those games with the confidence we have after coming off a couple of important wins.”
Taking the results game by game, Aranguren believes that the Jays can sustain their success.
“This season we have been focusing on the process not the results. We work hard at practice every day regardless of who the opponent will be,” Aranguren said. “We have high hopes for the season but as always the most important game is the next one we will play, so in this case, Dickinson. By focusing on this process, the results will come.”
With their sixth win in the Centennial, the Jays secured a berth in the Centennial Conference Tournament. They also improved their all-time record against Haverford to a mark of 19-7-4.
Hopkins will return to action on Oct. 25, when they travel to undefeated McDaniel in what will surely have Conference Tournament seeding ramifications.
Kickoff in Westminster, Md. will be at 3:30 p.m.
