Nov. 19, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

BALTIMORE, MD -

Sweet 16

No. 7 Johns Hopkins travels to Geneva, N.Y. to take on No. 5 William Smith on Saturday, November 22 at 11 a.m. in the NCAA Tournament Third Round. The Blue Jays will compete in the first NCAA Sweet 16 in a 17-year program history after posting back-to-back shutouts in the first and second rounds.

Road To The Dance

Hopkins claimed a 1-0 victory over Meredith in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, defeating the Avenging Angels for the second time this season. The Blue Jay followed with a 1-0 win against Virginia Wesleyan, their first in program history.

JHU had met Virginia Wesleyan twice before, each coming in NCAA Tournament play. The Marlins ended Hopkins' 2006 season in the second round and sent the Blue Jays home in the first round in 2007. Hopkins overcame Virginia Wesleyan when it mattered most and will advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in school history.

Junior Karen Guszkowski has posted shutouts in each of Hopkins' four postseason games (Centennial Conference and the NCAA Tournament).

Scouting the Herons

No. 5 William Smith downed Keuka, 2-0, to advance to the second round. William Smith outlasted Endicott in a 4-3-penalty kick shootout in the second round. William Smith is unbeaten in its last 17 games. The Herons are 14-1-5 on the season and 7-0-2 at home. William Smith has outscored opponents 34-9 in 2008. Goalkeeper Amanda Davis has posted eight shutouts and has a 0.26 goals against average.

Twin Connection

Junior Natalie Held and her twin sister will each be competing in the NCAA Sweet 16. Libby Held, a member of the Washington University Bears, will take on Wheaton (Ill.) this Saturday. Wash U defeated Principia, 3-0, and Illinois Wesleyan in a 3-1 penalty kick shootout to move on the Sweet 16.

Johns Hopkins and Wash U are two of 12 schools in the Sweet 16 who have yet to allow a goal in the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Jays and the Bears will take on William Smith and Wheaton (Ill.), respectively. Neither opponent is included in that group of 12 schools that posted back-to-back shutouts in the tournament.

Moore Points

Junior forward Caitlin Moore had a role in both of the Blue Jays' goals in the NCAA Tournament. Moore assisted Erica Suter's game-winner over Meredith to advance Hopkins to the second round. Moore took the lead against Virginia Wesleyan, putting Hopkins on the board with her breakaway goal in the 36th minute, defeating the Marlins for the first time in program history.

Notables

The Blue Jays are now tied for most wins in a season (18) in the JHU record books. Hopkins has 18-win seasons in both 2000 and 2006.

Hopkins also set a record with its 22-game unbeaten streak in 2008 (8/29-11/16). In 2000-2001, the Blue Jays were unbeaten in 17 consecutive matches.

Hopkins has posted the most team shutouts in program history (18), surpassing the 14 shutouts of 2001.

Path To The Big Show

With the top record in the Centennial Conference (10-0-0), Hopkins earned the right to host its third consecutive conference tournament. The Blue Jays defeated Muhlenberg, 1-0, in the tournament semifinals in double overtime to advance into the title match. Hopkins won its fourth consecutive conference championship after a penalty kick shootout following two scoreless overtime periods. Earning their fourth straight NCAA bid, the 16-0-4 Blue Jays were picked to host an NCAA first and second round regional. The first round match marked the first NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament game in program history to be hosted by Johns Hopkins.

Climbing The Charts

With an early exit from the NCAA Tournament in 2007, Hopkins was not a preseason NSCAA top 25 pick. It didn't take long to change that, as the Blue Jays earned the No. 15 spot on September 9 after posting four shutouts to open the season. Hopkins was rated No. 9 the very next week (9/16/08) after playing No. 2 Messiah to a scoreless draw. The Blue Jays continued their surge, earning a program-best No. 5 ranking and moved into the No. 1 position in the Middle Atlantic region on September 30. Hopkins spent one week at No. 9 before improving to the No. 7 slot, where it has remained since October 21.

Top Performers

Sophomore Jenn Paulucci (Manalapan, NJ/Freehold Boro) and freshman Erica Suter (Ellicott City, MD/River Hill) were each awarded Centennial Conference Player of the Week honors for the second time this season after leading JHU to the Centennial Conference title. Suter scored the game-winner for Hopkins in the Centennial Conference semifinals and was named Offensive Player of the Week. The freshman headed in the goal off of a corner kick in the 103rd minute to advance the Blue Jays to their fifth straight Centennial title match. Suter has recorded 11 goals on the season and is tied for sixth in single-season goals in the JHU record books. Paulucci led a stingy defense that did not allow a goal through 213 minutes of playoff action through the Centennial Conference Tournament. The sophomore earned the second Defensive Player of the Week selection of the season as she received the honor on September 2 for her role in the Blue Jays' three shutouts to open the season.

Streaks

The No. 7 Johns Hopkins women's soccer team enters the NCAA Sweet 16 riding a six-game shutout streak.

JHU opened its season with a five shutout wins, including a win over Meredith, 3-0, on August 30. The Blue Jays have posted 18 shutouts as a team while 13 shutouts are credited to the efforts of junior goalkeeper Karen Guszkowski (Sayreville, NJ/Cardinal McCarrick), who has tallied 58 saves this season. Guszkowski has not allowed a goal in 581:25 minutes.

Homewood Advantage

Hopkins is unbeaten in its last 18 contests played at Homewood Field, dating back to October 6, 2007. 14 of the 18 games were shutout victories. The Blue Jays have posted five consecutive shutouts at Homewood to head into the NCAA Tournament Third Round with a 18-0-4 record. JHU has posted a 105-31-16 record at home in 17 seasons.

Around The Nation

Junior keeper Karen Guszkowski (Sayreville, NJ/Cardinal McCarrick) and her 0.248 goals against average rank first nationally among Division III goalkeepers. Guszkowski also owns the second -best save percentage in Division III (.925). With 18 shutouts on the year, Hopkins ranks second in the country, boasting a 0.773 shutout percentage. The Blue Jays also rank in the top 10 in team goals against average with a 0.389 (No. 9).

Best of the Best

Hopkins has outscored its opponents 50-9 in 2008, averaging 2.27 goals per game and soaring to its first unbeaten season in program history at 16-0-4 (10-0-0 Centennial). The Blue Jays out-shot their opposition 217-76 for the season.

Academically Speaking

Sophomores Sarah Gieszl (Phoenix, AZ/Xavier College Prep) and Jenn Paulucci (Manalapan, NJ/Freehold Boro) were named to the CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II Team. Paulucci earned second team honors, while Gieszl earned third team honors. Paulucci has a 4.0 cumulative GPA, while Gieszl boasts a 3.6 cumulative mark. To qualify for nomination, the student-athlete must have a 3.3 or high cumulative grade point average and be a starter or key reserve.

All-Conference

Five Blue Jays garnered All-Centennial honors after a stellar 15-0-3 regular season record. Freshman Erica Suter (Ellicott City, MD/River Hill) earned first team honors to become one of just 20 rookies all-time to earn a first-team spot. Sophomore Jenn Paulucci (Manalapan, NJ/Freehold Boro) was also a first team selection and the only unanimous all-conference selection. Paulucci was also named to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Senior midfielder Molly Steele (Daleville, VA/North Cross), sophomore defender Sarah Gieszl (Phoenix, AZ/Xavier College Prep) and junior goalkeeper Karen Guszkowski (Sayreville, NJ/Cardinal McCarrick) each earned second team all-conference honors. Steele earned her third consecutive All-Centennial accolade after a first team selection in 2007 and a second team honor in 2006. Gieszl was also selected for the Centennial Academic Honor Roll.

Coach of the Year

Head coach Leo Weil was recently voted Centennial Conference women's soccer Coach of the Year by his league peers. Weil led the Blue Jays to their first unbeaten season (18-0-4) in an 18-year program history. On October 11th, Weil tallied his 200th career victory at JHU with a 1-0 win over Gettysburg. He has posted a 209-83-31 mark in 17 seasons. Weil has finished each of the last 13 seasons with a .675 or better win percentage.

Ol' Faithful

Freshman Erica Suter (Ellicott City, MD/River Hill) has scored five game-winning goals in her rookie campaign at Hopkins, including two in postseason play. Suter's latest heriocs came in the 78th minute in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Meredith. Junior forward Caitlin Moore (Landisville, PA/Hempfield) crossed the ball to the rookie, where Suter knocked it past the Meredith goalkeeper.

Suter also came through against Muhlenberg in the Centennial Conference semifinals, where she headed home the winning shot in a scramble following a corner kick from senior Lisa Irizarry (Yorktown Heights, NY/Yorktown) in the second overtime, advancing Hopkins to the conference title game. The game-winner against Muhlenberg was the second for Suter in an overtime period at home this season. The freshman earned the win for the Blue Jays against Haverford on October 3.

Depth Perception

19 Blue Jays have seen action in 10 or more contests in 2008. 15 players have recorded points in one of JHU's 20 matches. The Hopkins roster boasts 17 returning letter winners who were part of the 2007 Centennial Conference championship squad and NCAA Tournament berth. The five seniors will play in their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament after capturing the last four Centennial titles to earn an automatic bid.

© 2010 CBS Interactive. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy (UPDATED) | Terms of Use | About Us | Advertise | Feedback | XML RSS Feeds