Release courtesy of Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications
SALEM, VA – One thing was certain at the start of Sunday NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship Game; one team, either second-ranked Johns Hopkins or fourth-ranked Case Western, would walk away with its first-ever national championship.
Ninety tense minutes later, it was the Blue Jays who would add their name to the list of all-time champions as Johns Hopkins capped an unbeaten 23-0-2 campaign with a 2-1 win over the Spartans in a game that featured 33 combined shots, 12 combined saves and several near-misses for both teams.
Tied at the half, the Blue Jays needed just over four minutes of the second half to grab a 2-1 lead as they struck quickly in transition. Graduate student Breukelen Woodard sprung freshman Maria Romo-Nichols down the wing and she worked towards the area and cut back to middle of the field before slotting a perfect pass to a cutting Katie Sullivan who one-timed the feed just under the crossbar from 10 yards out.
Hopkins had several golden chances to push the lead to 3-1 but could never get the insurance goal they craved. A Woodard header off a corner kick six minutes after Sullivan's goal drifted just wide of the post and Sullivan redirected a Kacie Filian header off a corner seven minutes later that hit a Blue Jay on the goal line and bounced away.
After generating eight shots in the first half, four of which were turned away by Blue Jay goalie Emma Huntzinger, the Spartans' best chances after halftime came late. A corner kick with just under six minutes remaining didn't result in a shot but created a dangerous opportunity as the ball was headed twice in the box before being swept away and Merry Meyer whistled one over the cross bar from 20 yards out with 1:50 on the clock. From there, the Blue Jays kept possession on the Spartan half of the field to seal their first national title.
As they have so often this season, the Blue Jays struck first and it was the combination of Rachel Jackson and Woodard who staked Hopkins to the early lead. Posted up more than 30 yards from the goal in the middle of the field, Jackson collected a long feed from beyond midfield and quickly turned and worked her way towards the area; with two defenders on her at the top of the box, she slipped a pass to her right that Woodard settled and she quickly fired low past the outstretched hands of Spartan goalie Maggie Storti.
The Spartans (20-1-1) pulled even just over 20 minutes later when they struck in transition. Senior Aniya Hartzler worked the middle of the field to the top of the box and fired a low shot that Huntzinger made a kick save on but couldn't control. Hartzler corralled the loose ball and slipped a five-yarder into an open net for the equalizer.
Both teams had chances to break the tie late in the first half with Case Western's Anika Washburn sending a 17-yard offering with pace that Huntzinger was able to handle in the 38th minute while the Blue Jays' Rebecca Rosen got a foot on a cross 90 seconds later that went wide. Huntzinger then made a diving save on a Camryne Hartman rip in the final 10 seconds of the half to preserve the 1-1 halftime tie.
The deadlock lasted less than five minutes into the second half – 4:24 to be exact – before Sullivan netted what proved to be the game-winner.
All that was left after that was 40 tense minutes for the vocal Blue Jay faithful in attendance, who were finally able to celebrate two minutes after Meyer's final attempt for the Spartans sailed six-feet over the bar.
Jackson was named the Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the championship and Kendall Dandridge grabbed Most Outstanding Defensive Player honors. In addition to those selections, Sullivan and Woodard landed a spot on the all-tournament team.
Notes: Woodard's seven goals in the NCAA Tournament are one shy of the Division III record for most in one tournament. With two goals today, JHU scored at least two goals in each of its last 21 games of the season. The Blue Jays tied the school record for consecutive wins with their 21 straight victory today.