The Basics
• Score: #6 Johns Hopkins-5, Gettysburg-4
• Records: JHU (16-2) • GC (11-9)
• Location: Baltimore, MD • Homewood Field
• The Short Story: The sixth-ranked Johns Hopkins field hockey held off a furious fourth-quarter rally to defeat visiting Gettysburg, 5-4, in the Centennial Conference semifinals Friday afternoon.
 
How it Happened
• The Blue Jays capitalized off a penalty corner early in the first to grab the lead. Senior Katie McErlean took a pass from junior Michaela Corvi, dribbled around two defenders, and then back-handed a shot to the right post from 12 yards out
• Hopkins erupted for three goals in the second quarter to push out to a 4-0 lead at the half. Senior Christina Glaser scored back-to-back goals less than four minutes apart, both off passes from sophomore Abby Birk, early in the quarter to make it a three-goal game. McErlean capped the three-goal burst when she took corner insert from Birk and blasted a shot into the cage from the top of the circle with 8:15 to go.
• JHU extended its lead to five with 9:41 left in the third. Birk hit a long ball into the circle from the left side and freshman Tessa Erickson swept it in at the near post.
• The Bullets weren't going away and made things interesting with four goals in the fourth quarter. Gettysburg got on the board just three minutes into the quarter off a Lauren Beccaria goal. The Bullets then scored three goals in four and a half minutes to pull within one with 58.7 seconds remaining.
• Emma Bertrando made it 5-2 when she scored on a Gettysburg corner. Just three minutes later Beccaria collected the ball off a save and buried the rebound to make it a two-goal game. Bertrando completed the flurry, scoring again off a corner, and making it a one-goal game.  
 
What it Means
• Hopkins improves to 23-19-1 all-time against Gettysburg, including 4-1 in the Centennial Conference Tournament.
• JHU advances to the Centennial Conference championship for the third straight year and 11^th time since the tournament's inception in 2000.
 
Inside the Box Score
• Birk led the Blue Jays with four assists, tying the program record for assists in a game. It is also the most assists by a Blue Jay in the Centennial Conference Tournament. Birk now has 17 assists on the season, two shy of the program single-season record. She is also tied for fifth with 21 career assists.
• Glaser's two goals are a career-best, while McErlean's two goals ties her career high. McErlean moved into eighth in place in school history with 73 career points and 28 career goals.
 
Up Next
• Hopkins will face the winner of Franklin & Marshall and Ursinus in the conference championship on Saturday. The game is slated for a 4:00 pm start at Homewood Field.