As the school year winds down, so does the regular season for the Jays. In last week’s matchups, the Jays defeated the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights 17-9 to clinch a spot in the Big Ten Tournament but fell to crosstown-rivals, the Towson University Tigers, 18-5.
Against Rutgers, the Blue Jays took only 12 minutes to take control, scoring the first five goals of the contest to quickly jump out to a 5-0 lead. Senior attacker Alexis Maffucci used a pass from junior midfielder Shannon Fitzgerald to start off the scoring. Two minutes later, junior attacker Emily Kenul followed suit with a free-position shot that found the mesh. Freshman attacker Maggie Schneidereith got help from junior defender Emily Verica to score the third goal of the day for Hopkins.
Soon after, senior midfielder Haley Schweizer scored two goals just 19 seconds apart to give Hopkins a 5-0 lead.
The Scarlet Knights were finally able to get onto the scoreboard almost halfway through the first half when midfielder Kristina Dunphey capitalized on a free-position shot. The goal was only a slight break in the scoring for Hopkins, as Schneidereith, Schweizer and Kenul each buried another goal apiece to regain the momentum, putting the score at 8-1. Schneidereith and Kenul each had help from Fitzgerald, who led the team with three assists.
Rutgers began to find their groove in the final third of the first half, as Dunphey, attacker Joanna Reilly and midfielder Macy Scott each put a goal on the board for the Scarlet Knights. The half ended with Hopkins ahead 8-4.
The Blue Jays began the second half just as they had the first, with Schneidereith capturing the hat trick just 11 seconds after the whistle blew. Just 13 seconds later, Maffucci scored her second goal of the day on a free-position shot to improve the Jays’ lead to 10-4. Schweizer followed suit shortly after to give the Jays a seven-goal lead before a full minute went by in the second half.
The Blue Jays continued their dominance as Fitzgerald scored her 28th goal of the season, making the game 12-4. Kenul secured her hat trick with help from Maffucci, and sophomore midfielder and attacker Nicole DeMase buried a shot with help from Schweizer. Schweizer followed up with her fifth goal of the day, and DeMase added another one after to put the Jays ahead 16-4.
The Scarlet Knights battled back late, scoring five straight to ease the bleeding, but the damage had already been done. Although Rutgers cut the lead to eight, Hopkins junior midfielder and attacker Caroline Shinske found the back of the net for the Blue Jays to put the final tally at 17-9.
Their victory over the Scarlet Knights earns the Jays a spot in the Big Ten Tournament in their first year competing in the Conference.
Hopkins finished out the regular season against the Towson Tigers. As quickly as the Blue Jays had pounced on the Scarlet Knights, Towson did the same to the Blue Jays. The Tigers’ attacker Carly Tellekamp scored just 36 seconds into the game.
Midfielder Kaitlyn Montalbano quickly followed by scoring her first of what would end up being a seven-goal day. Attacker and midfielder Natalie Sulmonte scored off of a free-position shot, and Montalbano scored two more to earn a hat trick less than 13 minutes into the game.
The Tigers’ attacker Alyssa Ferro earned her team’s sixth goal of the day, which was assisted by attacker and midfielder Samantha Brookhart, who also assisted on both of Montalbano’s goals. Tellekamp then scored her second goal of the day to put the Tigers up 7-0.
Maffucci put the Jays up on the board with an assist from Kenul before Towson ended the half with four straight goals. Tellekamp, midfielder Emily Gillingham, Montalbano and attacker Jenna Kerr all recorded goals as the half ended with Hopkins in the hole 11-1.
Fitzgerald scored her 29th goal of the season to start off the second half, but Sulmonte quickly answered to put the Tigers lead back to 10. Kenul again assisted on another goal by Mafucci, but Towson responded with five goals of their own. Gillingham, Sulmonte, Tellekamp, Montalbano and Tellekamp again found the mesh to put the game at 17-3.
The Jays were able to score two goals to stem the damage, with DeMase and freshman midfielder Lexi Souder scoring in the final 10 minutes. Despite the Jays’ attempt to fight back, Towson’s midfielder Michaela Duranti notched one more goal for the Tigers. Towson came away with the 18-5 victory.
The Blue Jays finish the regular season at 11-6 as they prepare to travel down to College Park, Maryland. They take on the first-seed University of Maryland Terrapins in the opening round of the Tournament this Friday, May 5.
