Release courtesy of Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications
GLASSBORO, NJ – Second-ranked Middlebury scored with 2:33 to play in the first overtime to defeat fourth-ranked Johns Hopkins in the NCAA Championship game Sunday afternoon.
The Blue Jays had the first good chance of the game, 4:51 into the second quarter. Senior Olivia Fox sent a long ball into the circle and classmate Tessa Erickson redirected it, but it went just wide of the back post. A little over two minutes later, the Panthers' Caroline Segal fired off a shot off a corner, but junior Alexis Loder turned it away.
In a two minute and a half minute span late in the third quarter, Hopkins had three chances, but a trio of Grace Harlan saves kept the game scoreless. Segal had a chance on a counterattack with 2:06 to play in the quarter. Loder came out and made the save and then poked the ball out of the circle.
The Panthers earned a penalty corner with just 2:11 to play in regulation and Lilly Branka got a shot off but again, Loder was there to make the save, and the teams were headed to overtime. After a flurry of chances, and four saves from Loder, Middlebury broke through. Amy Griffin fired a hard shot into the circle, across the mouth of the cage, and the ball deflected in to give the Panthers the title.
Loder finished with seven saves while Harlan made three for the Panthers. Middlebury had advantages in shots (9-4) and penalty corners (8-4). Today's game was just the seventh NCAA title game to go to overtime and first since 2016. This was just the second time in the last three years that the Panthers were held to only one goal. Middlebury entered the game averaging 5.05 goals per game.
Graduate student Abby Birk, senior Anna Scott and sophomore Liz Falterer were named to the All-Tournament Team. This is Birk's and Scott's second straight year on the All-Tournament Team.
Hopkins finishes the season at 19-4. The Blue Jays won their fourth straight Centennial Conference title and made their fourth straight trip to the NCAA Final Four.
Notes: Loder now has 30 saves in eight career NCAA Tournament games - four shy of the program record (34 • Alec King) • She also a program record five career shutouts in the NCAA Tournament • Birk finishes her career as the program's all-time assist leader with 44 and also ranks second in career points (128) and third in career goals (42) • Birk is also the program's leader in games played (89) and games started (83).