BALTIMORE – The Dickinson women's soccer team seemed destined to share three huge Centennial Conference points against defending conference champion and sixth-ranked Johns Hopkins University on Wednesday night at Homewood Field. Unfortunately, for the Devils an 80th-minute penalty kick from Lily Gaston secured the 1-0 win for the Blue Jays.
The opening seven-plus minutes were played primarily in the midfield, before Hopkins got the first chance in the attacking third during the tenth-minute however it would amount to not much despite earning a corner. There would not be another foray into the offensive area by either team until the 22nd-minute when the Blue Jays earned consecutive corners while led to the first shot of the match coming from Lyndon Wood who was denied by keeper
Elizabeth Allen. Hopkins continued to keep the pressure up on the Devils backline as both Charlotte Trapp and Wood were stopped by Allen, while Katie Sullivan missed over the top of the goal. After another Allen save in the 40th, Dickinson finally mounted a push into the offensive third resulting in two shots from
Sarah Cudmore, that forced one stop out of Eva Breiland prior to half.
To begin the second period the Red and White pressured early as
Katie Vassilakos recorded a shot just one minute in, but missed high. Hopkins spent the ensuing six minutes on the attack with Lilah Isenberg, Megha Salvi, Kacie Filian and Sullivan each tallying attempts towards goal tasking Allen with notching two more stops. Two more saves by Allen during minutes 56 and 60 kept things scoreless and allowed
Maddie St. Amand to get down the pitch a fire a shot high of Breiland with 61:17 off the clock. Dickinson would look for the breakthrough in the 73rd, however
Bridget Merkel was shutdown by the keeper. After two more shots from the Blue Jays that did not bother Allen, the defining moment in the match occurred with 80 minutes elapsed. When with the ball in the DC defending 18-yard box the Blue Jays attempted to fire a shot towards goal, unfortunately for Dickinson the ball took a deflection off a DC defender resulting in a penalty kick for the hosts. Lily Gaston would step up from 12-yards out and stick the ball in the roof of the net for the 1-0 edge. The Red and White would mount a valiant push during the last ten minutes as both
Sophia Elguera and Vassilakos were stopped by Breiland. Dickinson got one last look with eight seconds left as the ball found the head of
Emily Dunkel, but she was unable to guide the ball into the net allowing the Jays to survive.
Red Devil Leaders
Shots – Vassilakos (2), Dunkel, Merkel and St. Amand (1)
Saves – Allen (7)
Blue Jay Leaders
Goals – Gaston (1)
Shots – Sullivan (4)
Saves – Breiland (4)
Next on the Pitch
Dickinson (5-2-0, 1-1-0 Centennial) will look to respond on Saturday afternoon when they head to Allentown for a conference matchup against the Mules of Muhlenberg College. Kickoff is slated for 4pm.
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