March 30, 2008

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - The #15 Johns Hopkins women's lacrosse team held #19 Denver to just one goal in the second half en route to a 13-7 win on Sunday afternoon. Senior Lauren Schwarzmann (Sykesville, MD/Century) and sophomore Sam Schrum (Pasadena, MD/St. Mary's) each scored four goals to pace the Blue Jays offense. Hopkins won its third straight to improve to 5-4 on the season while Denver dropped its second straight and is now 6-5.

Just 1:29 into the game, sophomore Brett Bathras (Severna Park, MD/Severn School) snuck a pass into to Schrum in the left alley. Schrum then fired a hard shot past Becky Childs to put Hopkins on the board first. Less than two minutes later, Schwarzmann scored on a free position shot to make it a two-goal game. Tulley Stapp scored for Denver at 5:16 on a free position shot, but Bathras answered just 40 seconds later when she beat Childs on a low shot.

Bathras pushed Hopkins lead to 4-1 with a free position goal at 7:08. Kelly Carver got one back for the Pioneers at 8:19 when she scooped up a loose ball in front of the Blue Jays cage and scored on a shot across her body. Once again, Hopkins answered quickly with a pair of goals. Schwarzmann answered Carver's goal just 31 seconds later before Childs was pulled in favor of Katie Gold. Schwarzmann then scored again on a fast break off a Hopkins clear.

Ali Flury ignited the Denver offense with 17:46 to play when she dodged straight to the cage and scored on a low shot to make it a 6-3 game. After a nine-minute draught, Lexi Sanders made it just a two goal game with 8:48 to play on an unassisted goal. Less than a minute later, from the top of the arc, Steph Coyne fed a dodging Karen Morton who scored to cut the deficit to one. Denver then won the ensuing draw and fired off three shots in a four-minute possession. Sophomore Lizzie O'Ferrall (Baltimore, MD/Mount De Sales) came up with the save on the third shot and the Blue Jays cleared the ball. However, a turnover in the Denver zone gave the Pioneers back the ball with 2:42 to play.

Denver cleared the ball and had another long possession, getting off two shots before Ali Flury scored on the Pioneers third shot of the possession with just 48 seconds to play. Hopkins won the ensuing draw and Schwarzmann got a shot off before the horn, but Gold came up with the stop.

It was all Hopkins in the second half as the Blue Jays scored six goals while holding the Pioneers scoreless for the first 21:34 of the half and forcing eight turnovers. After a goal from senior Kirby Houck (Baltimore, MD/Garrison Forest) just 1:32 into the half, Schrum scored three in a row as the Blue Jays took a 10-6 lead. Schwarzmann, sophomore Paige Ibello (Cockeysville, MD/Maryvale Prep) and Houck all added goals in a five-minute span as JHU led 13-6. Sanders finally got Denver on the board with 8:26 to play on a feed from Coyne.

Denver won the draw, but an O'Ferrall save on Sanders gave Hopkins back the ball with 7:10 to play. The Blue Jays maintained possession for the remainder of the game to take the 13-7 win.

Schwarzmann's five points on four goals and assist tied her career-high. Schrum scored four goals for the third time in her career. O'Ferrall finished with seven saves to earn the win. Childs finished with two saves in 8:50 of play, while Gold posted five saves in relief.

Hopkins returns to action on Wednesday, April 2 as the Blue Jays travel to Philadelphia to take on #9 Penn. The non-conference game is slated to begin at 7:00 pm.