Release courtesy of Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications
HARTFORD, Conn. – The second-ranked Johns Hopkins women's soccer team scored three second-half goals to break open a close game as the Blue Jays advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament with a 4-0 win over Trinity (CT) Sunday afternoon. The Blue Jays improve to 19-0-2 and extend their winning streak to 17 games while the Bantams have their season come to an end at 7-5-7.
After Rachel Jackson opened the scoring in the sixth minute off an assist from Breukelen Woodard, the Bantam defense stayed tight for the rest of the first half and the game went to halftime with the Blue Jays holding the one-goal lead. Hopkins did have several golden chances in the first half to extend the lead, but Mariana Cournoyer made four first-half saves and the Blue Jays hit the post twice in the opening 45 minutes.
It took less than a minute for the Blue Jays to double their lead in the second half as sophomore Katie Sullivan was taken down in the box and converted her penalty kick to make it 2-0. That lead held for nearly 18 minutes before Sullivan scored her second of the game to push the lead to 3-0.
The Blue Jays closed the scoring with just over four minutes remaining when freshman Maria Romo-Nichols bent an 18-yarder just inside the far post for her seventh goal of the season.
Emma Huntzinger went the distance in goal and posted three saves to secure her eighth individual shutout of the season. The Blue Jays outshot the Bantams 19-6, but Cournoyer made 10 saves to keep them in it until Sullivan's back-to-back goals pushed the one-goal halftime lead to three in the first 20 minutes of the second half.
Johns Hopkins will take on Williams in the third round of the tournament. The date, time and location of that game will be announced on Monday morning. This will be the Blue Jays' 12th trip to the Sweet 16.