March 17, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

At a Glance: Johns Hopkins hits the road for the first time in nearly a month to take on the #16 Oregon Ducks in San Diego, CA. The Blue Jays are coming off a 16-8 loss to the #2 Maryland Terrapins, while the Ducks defeated Columbia 17-10 in their last outing.

Against the Ducks: Johns Hopkins and Oregon have met just two times previously, with the Blue Jays winning both meetings. This is the second time in the series that the two have met in a neutral site. JHU and Oregon played the first ever varsity lacrosse game in Hawaii in 2006. The two met in Baltimore last season.

Last Time Out: Seniors Lauren Schwarzmann and Kirby Houck, along with sophomore Sam Schrum combined for six goals in 16-8 loss to #2 Maryland on Monday. Schwarzmann, who had missed four games because of illness, scored both of her goals on free position shots.

Snowed Out: Johns Hopkins was slated to host Ohio State on March 9 in both teams' American Lacrosse Conference opener. However, due to heavy snow in Ohio, the Buckeyes were unable to make the trip to Baltimore. The game has been rescheduled for Monday, April 28 at 3:00 pm as part of a double-header with the men's lacrosse team. The men will host Mount St. Mary's at 7:00 pm that night.

10th Anniversary: The 2008 season is the 10th anniversary of Johns Hopkins' move to the Division I level. The Blue Jays are 103-56 (.647) in 10 DI seasons. Hopkins was a Division III team from 1976 to 1998 and posted a 217-135 (.616) record. The Blue Jays made nine trips to the NCAA DIII tournament and won two MAC and four Centennial Conference titles.

Rare Company: Freshman Brianna Cronin has scored a goal in each of her first six games this season, putting her in some rare company. She joins sophomore Sam Schrum and Hopkins All-Americans Jamie Larrimore (`02), Heidi Pearce (`04) and Mary Key (`07) as the only players in school Division I history to score a goal in each of their first five career games.

Helpers: Seven different Blue Jays had tallied an assist so far this season. Sophomore Brett Bathras has eight assists this season after totaling five all of last season. Sophomore Danielle Ensley has three helpers in six games, while her classmate Paige Ibello has one on the season. Neither Ensley or Ibello tallied an assist last season.

Scouting the Ducks: After dropping their season opener, the Ducks won six straight including wins over #18 Richmond and #11 Notre Dame. Oregon's win streak came to an end in a 14-9 loss to #7 North Carolina.

Leading the way for the Ducks is Ilsa van den Berg with 29 points on 23 goals and six assists. Jen May and Theresa Waldron lead Oregon with eight assists apiece. Anna Poponyak has played all nine games in cage and posts a 9.11 goals against average with a .452 save percentage.

Records Watch: Senior Kadie Stamper ranks second all-time in JHU history with 184 career draw controls, just 18 shy of tying the program's all-time record of 202 (Jamie Larrimore `02). Stamper also ranks ninth in school Division I history with 78 goals, 10th in points (95), eighth in caused turnovers (58) and tied for ninth in ground balls (127).

Senior Lauren Schwarzmann ranks seventh in JHU DI history with 31 career assists. She is also 11th in career goals (61) and points (92) and is eighth in draw controls (68).

Tewaaraton Watch List: Senior middie Lauren Schwarzmann has been named to the 2008 Warrior Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List. She is one of 44 players named to the list. The Tewaaraton Trophy is presented annually to the top male and female lacrosse players in the nation.

Schwarzmann has scored four goals in two games this season, after missing four due to illness. She is 2-of-3 on free position shots with two ground balls and three draw controls.

On the Road: Today's game marks the first road game since February 26 for Johns Hopkins. The Blue Jays had played four straight home, going 1-3. Hopkins is 1-1 so far this season on the road.

All-Time Record: The Blue Jays are in their 33rd season of lacrosse with an all-time record of 320-191-4 (.625). As a Division I program, Johns Hopkins boasts a 103-56 (.647) record in 10 seasons.

21 In a Row: Johns Hopkins has posted 21 consecutive winning seasons overall, including nine as a Division I program. Among DI schools, the Blue Jays streak of nine consecutive winning seasons is tied for eighth all-time. Among all divisions, Hopkins' streak of 21 consecutive seasons with a winning record ranks fourth all-time.

We're Going Streaking: Several Blue Jays have active scoring streaks entering today's game. Senior Lauren Schwarzmann leads the way with a 12-game scoring streak. Freshman Briana Cronin has scored in each of the last six games, while ssenior Kirby Houck and sophomore Sam Schrum have a point in the last four games. Sophomore Brett Bathras has a point in each of the last three games.

Preseason Honors: Seniors Lauren Schwarzmann and Kadie Stamper, along with sophomore Sam Schrum have been named to the American Lacrosse Conference Preseason All-Conference Team. Schwarzmann is a three-time All-ALC selection who was tied for second on the team in 2007 with 30 goals. Stamper, who is coming off a fall injury, has earned All-ALC honors twice. Schrum, the 2007 ALC Rookie of the Year, was tied with Schwarzmann with 30 goals last season.

In addition, Stamper was named a preseason Third Team All-American by Inside Lacrosse. She earned All-America honors from Inside Lacrosse in 2005 and 2006.

Red, White and Blue: Senior Lauren Schwarzmann was named to the U.S. Developmental Team last August. She is the second player under head coach Janine Tucker in the last two years to represent the United States. Mary Key `07 was named to the Developmental Team in 2005 and 2006. Last fall, Key was named to the U.S. Elite Team.

Oh Captain, My Captain: Seniors Sarah Gallion, Kirby Houck and Lauren Schwarzmann will serve as captains for the Blue Jays in 2008. Gallion is the Blue Jays leader on defense. A four-year starter, she ranked second on the team last season with 42 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers. Houck scored a career-high 22 goals last season and is one of Hopkins' center draw specialists. Schwarzmann is coming off a 40-point season (30g, 10a) that saw her earn second team all-region honors.

Preseason Pickings: Johns Hopkins has been picked to finish second in the ALC behind three-time NCAA Champion Northwestern. The Blue Jays, who were the runners-up at the inaugural ALC Tournament last May, just edged out the Vanderbilt Commodores for the number two slot. Penn State is picked to finish in fourth, followed by Ohio State in fifth.