BALTIMORE – Haverford (3-3-2, 0-2-1 CC) kept Johns Hopkins (6-1-2, 2-1 CC) off the scoreboard through the opening 45 minutes, but a pair of goals less than four minutes apart early in the second half lifted the Blue Jays to a 2-0 Centennial Conference victory Saturday afternoon at Homewood Field.
The Fords absorbed sustained pressure throughout the opening half but remained organized defensively, limiting Johns Hopkins to six shots while keeping the contest scoreless. The Blue Jays earned three corner kicks in the period, but Haverford continued to turn away each opportunity.
Johns Hopkins generated its first dangerous sequence in the ninth minute, with Caroline Marcus getting an attempt through traffic toward the Haverford goal. Mayah Simon was stationed on the goal line and kept the shot out for a defensive save. Marcus followed with another opportunity moments later, but the Fords again held firm.
The Blue Jays continued to control possession, but Haverford's defensive unit of Mia Peifer, Emma Kirk, Simon and Caroline Flynn helped keep the hosts from finding the opening goal. Allie Billups was called upon just before halftime, turning aside an attempt from Carolina Chao with 33 seconds remaining to send the teams into the break locked in a scoreless tie.
Johns Hopkins came out aggressively after halftime, forcing Billups into three saves in the opening four minutes of the second period. Carolyn Johnson tested the Haverford goalkeeper twice in quick succession before Billups denied Kendall Frederick at 48:23. Two Johns Hopkins corner kicks followed as the hosts continued to apply pressure.
Haverford's resistance finally gave way in the 54th minute. Gwen Rauvola broke the deadlock with an unassisted goal at 53:50, giving Johns Hopkins a 1-0 advantage. Billups responded by turning aside Lauren Fang's effort less than three minutes later, but the Blue Jays doubled their lead at 57:18 when Johnson converted a feed from Inara Inesi. The two goals came just 3:28 apart.
The Fords responded immediately and began finding opportunities of their own after being held without a shot in the opening half. Just nine seconds after the second Johns Hopkins goal, Reese Meyers put Haverford's first attempt of the afternoon on target, forcing second-half goalkeeper Eva Breiland into a save.
Haverford continued to search for a way back into the contest. Kirk tested Breiland in the 66th minute before the Fords earned their first corner kick in the 76th.
The Scarlet and Black nearly cut the deficit in half moments later. A loose ball inside the box fell to Natalie Kelly amid traffic, and Kelly managed to get a foot on it and send an attempt toward goal. Breiland reacted quickly, diving to her right to keep the shot out in the 77th minute and preserve the 2-0 advantage.
Haverford continued to push through the closing stages. The Fords earned another corner in the 85th minute before Shiloh Ulrickson put an attempt on frame, forcing Breiland into her fourth save of the half. With just a few minutes remaining, another dangerous sequence developed inside the Johns Hopkins box as several players converged around a loose ball, but Breiland came off her line and smothered it in traffic before Haverford could get a shot away.
Johns Hopkins finished with a 16-4 advantage in shots and a 7-2 edge in corner kicks, but all four Haverford attempts were on target. Meyers, Kirk, Kelly and Ulrickson each tested Breiland during the second half. Billups finished with six saves, while Simon added the first-half defensive save as the Fords turned away seven of the Blue Jays' nine shots on goal.
The Fords will return to action Tuesday, September 29Â heading to Widener for a 7 p.m. matchup before Homecoming returns on Saturday, October 3 and a matchup with Eastern on Walton Field.Â
