Release courtesy of Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications
The Basics
• Score: #2 Johns Hopkins-5, Dickinson-0
• Records: JHU (19-0) • DC (9-10)
• Location: Baltimore, MD • Homewood Field
• The Short Story: The second-ranked Johns Hopkins field hockey team beat Dickinson, 5-0, to claim its third straight Centennial Conference Championship Saturday night at Homewood Field.
How it Happened
• The Blue Jays grabbed the lead just 39 seconds into the game as they capitalized off their first penalty corner. Senior Abby Birk inserted the corner to junior Olivia Fox at the top of the circle, who hit a low, hard shot into the back of the cage. Twelve minutes later, Birk doubled Hopkins' lead as she dribbled into the circle off a restart and slotted a shot past Saige Stevens from seven yards out.
• That would be all the scoring until the final quarter, when Hopkins erupted for three goals to push its lead to five. Freshman Grace Nockolds pounced on a rebound on the doorstep and tucked the ball between Stevens and the right post at 47:34 to put Hopkins up 3-0.
• In the blink of an eye midway through the quarter the Blue Jays turned the three-goal lead into a five-goal lead to salt away the win. Birk caused a turnover and passed the ball to Fox in the middle of the field. She dribbled 20 yards and then drilled a shot into the back of the cage from just inside the circle. Just 78 seconds later, off a corner, Birk tipped in a hit from Fox at the left post to cap the scoring.
What it Means
• Hopkins improves to 24-19-2 all-time against Dickinson with its fifth straight win over the Red Devils. Tonight's game was the first-ever meeting between the two in the Centennial Conference Tournament.
• The Blue Jays are now 19-11 in the Centennial Conference Tournament. Hopkins has won three straight titles and five all-time since the tournament's inception in 2000.
• Hopkins extends its win streak to 19 games and ties the school record with its 19th win. This is the third straight season that the Blue Jays have won 19 games.
Inside the Box Score
• Fox and Birk led the Blue Jays with five points each. Fox's two goals and five points are both career-highs. Birk matched her career high with two goals and five points, and she added a defensive save and was named the tournament MVP.
• Birk moves into fifth place in school history with 86 career points and is tied for 11th with 26 goals.
• Sophomore Alexis Loder finished with a pair of saves to earn the win. Stevens also made two saves and got a defensive save from Hannah Spiri.
• Hopkins outshot Dickinson, 22-3, and had a 10-1 advantage in corners.
Up Next
• Hopkins earns the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament with the win. The NCAA Tournament bracket is slated to be announced on Sunday, November 7 with first round scheduled for Wednesday, November 10.