Second Half Rally Falls Short as Hopkins Falls 16-7 to #1 Northwestern

McCaffrey Notches Career-High Five Goals in Second Half

Printer-Friendly Format

E-mail this article

Freshman <b>Colleen McCaffrey</b> scored five goals in less than 11 minutes Friday night.

Freshman Colleen McCaffrey scored five goals in less than 11 minutes Friday night.

Women's Lacrosse Home

HEADLINES

Johns Hopkins Women's Lacrosse Signs Eight for 2010 Recruiting Class

Johns Hopkins Women's Lacrosse to Host President's Day Clinic

Women's Lacrosse to Host 2010 Spring Tune Up

• Email this to a friend

April 17, 2009

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - Trailing 11-1 midway through the second half, Johns Hopkins put together a 6-1 run to make it a five-goal game with 3:49 to play, but could get no closer in a 16-7 loss to top-ranked and undefeated Northwestern Friday night. Freshman Colleen McCaffrey (Mount Sinai, NY/Mount Sinai) fueled the run, scoring a career-high five goals in a span of just 10:46 to rally the Blue Jays. Hopkins drops its second straight to an undefeated team and slips to 5-10 on the season and 0-3 in the American Lacrosse Conference. Northwestern, with its 20th straight win, moves to 14-0 overall and 3-0 in the ALC.

It was all Northwestern for the first 41 minutes as the Wildcats scored the game's first nine goals. Katrina Dowd put the visitors on the board early, scoring the first of her five on the night just 1:56 in. The Blue Jays' defense kept the explosive Wildcats' offense at bay for the next 12 minutes, keeping it at just a one-goal game. Meredith Frank finally broke through, scoring on a quick shot off a behind-the-cage pass from Hannah Nielsen with 16:21 to play.

It would be another five minutes before Northwestern found the cage again, but it would punch up three quick in a span of just 69 seconds to push its lead to 5-0. Frank and Nielsen wrapped up the first half scoring with goals at 7:36 and 2:35 to give Northwestern a 7-0 lead at the break.

Frank completed her hat trick just 9:47 into the second half, scoring in traffic to make it 8-0 Wildcats. Nielsen then put home an unassisted tally less than two minutes later. Senior Gina Maranto (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) ended the Blue Jays drought, scoring a one-timer off a feed from junior Danielle Ensley (Severna Park, MD/Severna) with 17:22 to play. Northwestern responded quickly, scoring two straight in just 19 seconds to push out to a 11-1 lead with 16:31 remaining.

Ensley picked up the second of her career-high four assists on the night two minutes later, finding McCaffrey in the middle for her second straight goal. The Wildcats did not need long to get that one back as Dowd scored just 20 seconds later to put Northwestern back on top 12-2.

Ensley and McCaffrey connected again with 9:38 to play as the Blue Jays put up five unanswered in a six-minute span. McCaffrey completed her hat trick, taking the ball from midfield right to the Northwestern cage, making it a 12-4 game. Just over two minutes later, freshman Rachel Ballatori (Rochester, NY/Brighton) wrapped around the crease and scored to the far post. McCaffrey followed with back-to-back goals and the deficit was down to five at 12-7 with 3:49 remaining.

Following a Northwestern timeout, Hopkins won the draw and junior Sam Schrum (Pasadena, MD/St. Mary's) earned a free position shot, but Brianne Lomanto made the save. And that would be as close as the Blue Jays would get as they the Wildcats scored four goals in the final 81 seconds to put the game away.

McCaffrey becomes the second freshman this season to score five goals in a game, joining Candace Rossi (Farmingdale, NY/Farmingdale) who turned the trick on March 4 and March 7. Ballatori finished with two points on the night on a goal and an assist, tying her career high. Sophomore Julianne Wisner (Parkton, MD/Notre Dame Prep) finished with five saves in 45:18 of action. Senior Jess Buicko (Altamont, NY/Hotchkiss) came on in relief and made one save.

Dowd led the Wildcats with her five goals, while Frank had four and Nielsen finished with three goals and five assists. Morgan Lathrop posted four saves before giving way to LoManto who finished with two stops.

Hopkins returns to action on Saturday, April 25 as Penn State visits Homewood Field. It is the final regular season game for the Blue Jays who will honor their four seniors prior to the game. In addition, Hopkins will be wearing specially made Under Armour jerseys in conjunction with UA's "Power in Pink" initiative honoring, inspiring and supporting women fighting breast cancer. Game time for the ALC game is set for 1:00 pm.