June 2, 2006

The 2006 Johns Hopkins women's lacrosse team continued to make its mark on the Division I landscape this season. The Blue Jays narrowly missed out on a third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, despite a 12-4 overall record. Led by Head Coach Janine Tucker in her 13th season, Hopkins started the season with eight straight wins and climbed to as high as #2 in the national polls, a Division I record for the Jays.

Hopkins opened the season ranked #7 in the IWLCA preseason poll, taking on George Washington on February 26 in the team's earliest start since the 2002 season. Junior attackers Mary Key and Sarah Walsh combined for seven goals and six assists and sophomore midfielder Kadie Stamper added three goals and one assist to lead Hopkins to a 12-8 win over the Colonials. Coming out of halftime with the game tied at 3-3, the Blue Jays took control early in the second half as a three-goal run in a 54-second span gave the Jays a 6-3 lead. George Washington made one final as Laura Hostetler scored back-to-back goals and Katherine Sampson tallied with 11:35 remaining to make it 8-6. Walsh then book ended a 3-1 surge for the Blue Jays that also include a Lauren Schwarzmann tally to push Hopkins' lead to 11-7 before the Colonials' Kristin Karsch and Key traded goals to account for the final score.

Despite the win, the Blue Jays dropped a notch to #8 in the polls heading into a key match-up with the #3 Princeton Tigers. The game was the home opener for Hopkins and was nationally televised by ESPNU. The Blue Jays came out firing and held off a furious Tiger rally for an 8-7 win. Key, who finished with three goals and three assists, kick started a 5-0 Hopkins run when she scored just 2:12 into the contest. Walsh, sophomore Annie Wagner, junior Steph Janice and senior Meagan Voight all scored for the Jays early. Princeton cut the lead to three with goals from Katie Cox and Kristin Schwab heading into halftime.

The second half proved to be a tighter contest than the first, as the Tigers rallied with five goals, while Key and Wagner both tallied for Hopkins. Key's behind-the-back goal at 15:14 and a Princeton turnover with 40 seconds remaining led to the Blue Jays on-field celebration of the biggest upset in the program's history.

The Blue Jays upset of Princeton catapulted the program to a then-best #4 ranking heading into the American Lacrosse Conference (ALC) opener with Ohio University. JHU was picked to finish third in the ALC behind Northwestern and Penn State. The Blue Jays made a statement jumping on the Bobcats early in route to a 17-6 win at Homewood Field. It took Hopkins just 80 seconds to take a 3-0 lead as Walsh tallied two goals around freshman Gina Maranto's first career goal. After a score from Ohio's Kelley Windle, the Jays rattled off six unanswered to pull away. Wagner ignited the run with the first of her career-high three goals, followed by strikes from sophomore midfielder Kirby Houck and junior attacker Alex Nolan. Key tallied back-to-back goals, followed by a second strike from Wagner. The Bobcats would not go away, scoring four second half goals but in the end, Hopkins was too strong. Key led the Blue Jays with five goals, followed by three each from Walsh and Wagner.

Two days later Hopkins took on the Ohio State Buckeyes, seeking revenge for a 12-9 loss in Columbus last season. The Blue Jays got their revenge with a 17-7 win to move to 2-0 in ALC action and 4-0 overall. Key, Stamper, Walsh, and Schwarzmann all had multi-goal games to lead the Hopkins' attack. Walsh got things rolling just 48 seconds into the game followed by a strike from Key. Ohio State cut the lead to one when KC Carter scored the first of her three on the afternoon. Her tally ignited an 8-2 Hopkins' run as the Jays took a 10-3 lead into the locker room at the half. The Blue Jays continued to control the contest, outscoring the Buckeyes 7-4 in the second half for the win.

Back-to-back wins moved the Blue Jays up to #3 in the national polls heading into a highlight week for the team. The team traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii during spring break to face the Oregon Ducks. In the first ever NCAA varsity lacrosse game in Hawaii, Hopkins came out on top 15-7. Nolan scored her first career hat trick and senior goalie Lauren Riddick made 11 saves for the Jays. Hopkins took a 6-2 lead into the half, thanks to goals from Janice, Key, Wagner, Nolan, and Schwarzmann. Sophomore defenseman Sarah Gallion scored her first career goal just 2:47 into the second to lead the Blue Jays on a nine-goal second-half run. The win was Coach Tucker's 150th career win, making her just the 12th coach all-time in the NCAA to reach the 150-win plateau.

Hopkins returned home and took on American University in search of the program's 300th win. With a 15-7 win over the Eagles, the Blue Jays became just the seventh Division I team to accumulate 300 wins and the 15th in any division. Hopkins jumped on American early, with a 10-0 run to start the game. Key and Voight would combine for five goals in less than five minutes to kick-start the Blue Jays. Houck scored her first career hat trick and had a career-high four points. Stamper also tallied a hat trick as the Jays held off an American team that outscored the Jays 6-4 in the second half. The game also marked a milestone for Key as she became just the fourth player since JHU moved to Division I in 1999 to reach the 200 career point mark.

The Blue Jays remained at #3 in the nation as they traveled across the border for their third straight non-conference game. Key scored five goals and added three assists as Hopkins held off an upset-minded Penn team 12-9 in Philadelphia. A high paced game from the start, Key scored just 39 seconds in but the Quakers answered less than two minutes later. Hopkins went on to outscore Penn 7-2 to take an 8-3 lead. However, the Quakers answered with three goals to close out the half and trim the Jays' lead to 8-6 heading into the break.

Penn came out firing in the second, scoring at 4:53 to cut the lead to just one. Hopkins answered with goals from Key and Wagner to end the Quakers' run, but Penn came right back when Melissa Lehman scored her second of the night, cutting the lead to two. Key answered with her fourth of the night with 3:24 pushing the lead back to three, seemingly putting the game away. But once again the Quakers answered. With time ticking down, the Penn defense got a stop but on the ensuing clear attempt, the Jays forced a turnover. Key came up with the loose ball and scored with six seconds remaining to give Hopkins the win. Freshman Amelia Harris, making her second consecutive start in net, making a career-high seven saves for the win.

Hopkins returned home to face ALC opponent, #17 Vanderbilt. The Blue Jays were led by Janice who scored a career-high four goals to lead the Jays to an 11-8 win. Hopkins moved to 8-0 on the season, just the second team in Hopkins' Division I history to start the season 8-0. The Blue Jays took the early lead off a strike from Voight, but the Commodores answered with four straight to take the lead. Hopkins called a timeout and came out of the break on a four-goal run of its own, taking a 5-4 lead with 3:26 to play in the first. Jennifer Tapscott answered with her third of the game for Vanderbilt to tie the game at 5-5 with 2:52 to go. But with time ticking down Janice scooped up a loose ball and fired a low shot that found the back of the net as the half expired.

Vanderbilt came out firing in the second half, knotting the score at 6-6 just 50 seconds in. Janice gave Hopkins back the lead at 7-6 with 20:18 to play on her fourth of the day. Once again, the Commodores came right back. Riddick stopped a Tapscott shot and controlled the ball. As she stepped out to clear the ball to a teammate, Kate Hickman checked Riddick's stick, knocking the ball back into the Hopkins' goal and tying the game at 7-7. This time it was the Hopkins' offense that was ignited. The Blue Jays rattled off four straight to take an 11-7 lead with just 3:48 to play. Cara Giordano did give a spark to the Commodores, scoring with 1:30 to play. But the Hopkins defense stood strong for the remaining 90 seconds for the win.

One of just two unbeaten teams left in the nation, Hopkins jumped up to #2 in the national polls heading into a showdown with instate rival Maryland. The Blue Jays outscored the Terrapins in the second half, but it wasn't enough to overcome the first half deficit as the Jays suffered their first loss of the season. Maryland came out firing in the first half, taking a quick 2-0 lead on goals by Krista Pellizzi and Katie Doolittle. Hopkins cut the lead to 2-1 on Houck's seventh goal of the season. Maryland answered with a fast break goal from Katie Princiotto to make it 3-1, but Hopkins came back with a goal from Walsh just 12 seconds later. Key and Walsh had a two-on-one after winning the draw, and Key passed to Walsh who beat Buote to make it a one-goal game.

Maryland responded with a five goal run in less than six minutes to take an 8-2 lead. With 7:36 to play in the half, Harris came in at goal for Hopkins and just 22 seconds later, made a huge save on a one-on-one against Casey Magor. That save gave the Jays a lift and they capitalized less than two minutes later with Key's first goal of the afternoon and cut the lead to 8-3. Pellizzi pushed the lead back to six with her third of the day with 2:40 to play. Hopkins had the final say of the half, as Schwarzmann scored after picking up a loose ball with just 22 seconds in the half. That goal ignited a 7-2 run for the Blue Jays that would stretch well into the second.

Hopkins came out quickly in the second, when Key scored just 2:11 into the half off a feed from Walsh, to make it a 9-5 game. Princiotto scored her second of the day to push the lead back to five. Key answered for Hopkins, followed by a Doolittle strike for the Terps. The Blue Jays then scored three unanswered to close the gap to 11-10, with goals from Key, Stamper and Wagner. Maryland ended the run and pushed its lead back to two goals, just 14 seconds after Wagner's goal, with Pellizzi's fourth of the day. Maryland sandwiched goals around a strike from Stamper to make it a 14-11 game. Walsh led the Jays with six points on two goals and four assists. Key finished with five points on four goals and one assist, moving her into second place in Hopkins Division I history with 219 career points.

Hopkins stumbled in the polls following the loss to #7 in the polls. But the Blue Jays responded with a 14-6 win as they traveled across town to face the UMBC Retrievers. Voight tied a career-high with five goals to lead the Blue Jays. Hopkins jumped out quickly when Voight scored just 30 seconds in. Hopkins scored six more unanswered goals over the next 18 minutes to take a commanding 7-0 lead. UMBC's Kelly Fiorani and Ali Levendusky sandwiched goals around Wagner's tally at 8:59 to make it an 8-2 game heading into half time. Nolan, Key and Voight accounted for the Jays' six second-half goals as they held off a late Retriever's rally. Nolan finished with a career-high five points on two goals and three assists.

Despite the win, Hopkins fell to #8 in the polls as they traveled just across the state line to face the Delaware Blue Hens seven days later. Hopkins opened the game on a 6-0 run, kick started by Walsh as she sandwiched two goals around a Voight tally, followed by goals from Wagner, Key and Stamper. Casey McGrudden would answer for Delaware at 15:36 with the first of her three scores. But Hopkins would tack on two more before McGrudden could score again. Trailing 10-2 after scores from Voight and Janice, the Blue Hens scored two of the final three goals of the half to make it an 11-4 game heading into the break.

In the second, Hopkins slowed the pace a little, scoring six goals to Delaware's two. Stamper, Voight, Wagner, Walsh and Schwarzmann all scored for the Blue Jays in the second. Key finished with a game-high seven points including a career-high five assists. Schwarzmann finished with a career-high three assists to go along with her score.

On a two-game win streak and sitting atop the ALC with a 3-0 record, the Blue Jays boarded a plane and headed west to face the defending national champion Northwestern Wildcats. The Cats used their patent scoring runs to jump on the Blue Jays and pull away with a 17-5 win as they took over first place in the conference.

Hopkins struck early when Voight scored her 16th of the season off a feed from Nolan just 51 seconds into the game. Northwestern answered with eight unanswered goals to take an 8-1 lead into the half. Aly Josephs scored at 3:12 to tie the game igniting the Cats run. Kristen Kjellman led the Cats during the run with three goals, while Meredith Frank and Hannah Nielson each had two.

Northwestern struck just three minutes into the second half, with a goal from Kristen Boege. Hopkins answered with a three-goal run in just 92 seconds to cut the score to 9-4 with over 24 minutes to play. But the Cats came right back, outscoring the Blue Jays 8-1 in the final 19:58 of the half to take the 17-5 win. Walsh started the run, followed by back-to-back goals from Wagner to make it 9-4. Key assisted on both of Wagner's goals to break her own single-season record for assists with 33. Walsh scored again late in the half to account for the final goal for the Jays.

Dropping to #9 in the polls, Hopkins returned home to take on George Mason just three days later. Key broke two records in leading JHU to a 14-6 win over the Patriots. The Patriots struck first, just 3:09 into the game, to give George Mason the early lead. Hopkins answered with a nine-goal run, the first of which was record-breaking for Key. The goal extended her point streak to 47 consecutive games, the longest streak in Hopkins Division I history, breaking Jamie's Larrimore's record of 46. Just 10 seconds later the Blue Jays struck again when Key fed Walsh for the first of her three goals. Key would score four more during the run as Voight scored two and Walsh added her second. Hopkins entered the half with a 9-1 lead.

George Mason kept things even in the second half, scoring five goals to the Blue Jays five, but the eight-point first half deficit was too much for the visitors. Walsh, Key and Wagner all scored for Hopkins in the second. Key broke her second record with 13:47 to play when she scored her seventh goal of the game and her 11th point. Her 11 points broke the Hopkins Division I record for points in a game. Voight and Walsh finished with three goals apiece. Walsh also dished out two assists. Riddick finished with five saves for the 32nd win of her career, tying her with Jen McDonald '03.

The Blue Jays hit the road again to face #20 Penn State in a battle for second-place in the ALC. JHU could not hold off an upset-minded Penn State team on Senior Day as the Nittany Lions battled back for a 15-14. Key tied the Hopkins Division I career points record when she notched her 253rd career point.

Stamper gave Hopkins an early lead with her 18th of the season just 2:49 in. Key fed Stamper who beat Cammie Jurkowsky up high stick-side. The assist added another record to Key's list, as she became Hopkins Division I career assists leader with the 93rd of her career. Penn State answered at 4:25 when Karen Long picked up a loose ball and beat Riddick to tie the game. The Blue Jays scored back-to-back goals off Key and Wagner to take a 3-1 lead. The Nittany Lions rallied with five unanswered to take a 6-3 lead. It was then the Blue Jays turn for a five-goal rally, kick-started by Stamper's second of the day. Lori Havrilla ended the Hopkins run with her third of the day with 5:45 to play in the half, cutting the Jays' lead to one. But Hopkins answered when Stamper scored again, her fourth of the day, tying a career high with 2:30 left in the half.

The teams traded goals to start the second half to make it an 11-10 game for the Jays. Penn State tied it at 11-11 off a strike from Lauren Bryan with 15:57 to play. The teams resumed trading goals as Hopkins held a 13-12 lead with 10:20 to play on Key's 50th goal of the season. However, Penn State responded with back-to-back goals to take a 14-13 lead with 7:44 remaining. The Lions pushed their lead to 15-13 off a free position goal from Jessi Lieb. Hopkins cut the lead to 15-14 with Key's record-tying goal with 3:51 to play, giving her 253 career points. But it was as close as the Jays would get. Hopkins would have one last chance with time ticking down, but could not find the back of the net to tie the game.

Hopkins returned home for the final two games of the season looking to secure a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Jays were led by Key's six goals in route to a 16-11 win over visiting Towson University. Meggie McNamara gave Towson an early 1-0 lead when she scored just 1:48 into the game after picking up a loose ball on a failed Hopkins' clear. The Blue Jays came right back, tying the game at 1-1 less than two minutes later with a record breaking goal from Key. The goal was her 254th career point, breaking Jamie Larrimore's record of 253, a four-year old record. That goal kick-started a four-goal run, giving the Jays a 4-1 lead.

Shannon Witzel ended the Hopkins' run when she scored the first of her five goals cutting the score to 4-2. Hopkins answered with goals from Key, Schwarzmann and Janice. The Tigers answered with a run of their own, scoring three goals in less than 90 seconds to cut the lead to 7-4. The Blue Jays then outscored Towson 3-2 to end the half with 10-7 lead. Towson cut the lead to 10-8 with a free position goal from Becky Trumbo just 57 seconds in to the second. But once again Hopkins answered with a run, getting two goals each from Stamper and Key. Hillary Fratzke scored her fourth of the day, halting the Jays' run and cutting the lead to 14-9. Key and Witzel sandwiched goals around each other's to account for the final 16-11 score.

Walsh finished with a career-high six assists and eight points in the game, moving her into seventh on the Hopkins' Division I points list with 110. Stamper scored four goals for the second consecutive game and Harris finished with a career high 11 saves, improving to 3-0 on the season.

The Blue Jays entered the final game of the season ranked #12 and looking for an upset of the fourth-ranked Georgetown Hoyas and an a third straight NCAA bid. Hopkins could not repeat last season's magic in an 8-7 loss on Senior Day at Homewood Field. In 2005, on the eve of the NCAA Selection Show, the Blue Jays upset the #6 Hoyas to earn a bid to the tournament.

Hopkins came out firing, jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the first four minutes of the game. Voight scored just 48 seconds in on a feed from Walsh. Key made it 2-0 working around her defender and beating Georgetown goalie Maggie Koch. Just 19 seconds later, the Blue Jays took a 3-0 lead off a quick-release shot from Wagner. Stamper tallied just 52 seconds later off a feed from Walsh. Georgetown called a timeout to try and stem the tide. The Hoyas came out of the timeout and scored seven unanswered in a run that stretched into the second half. Courtney Hubschmann kick-started the run with her only score of the afternoon. Schuyler Sutton then cut the Hopkins' lead to just one with back-to-back goals. With 7:17 to play in the half, Bridget Noon scored on a quick shot to tie the game at 4-4. Sutton and Jordan Trautman tallied goals to make it 6-4 Georgetown heading into the half.

Lucy Poole struck at 4:32 into the second but Key answered with back-to-back goals, cutting the lead to one. She scored just 28 seconds after Poole's tally, breaking the Hopkins' all-time single season points record with her 100th of the season. Key scored again with 18:23 to play on a free position shot, breaking the Hopkins' Division I single season goals mark with her 60th of the season. Sutton pushed the Hoyas' lead back to two with her fourth of the afternoon. Harris kept the Blue Jays in the game on the Hoyas' next possession, making three straight saves, including a point-blank shot by Hubschmann after Harris stopped her free position shot. Wagner scored her second of the day with 6:16 remaining in the game, making it a one-goal game. Hopkins won the ensuing draw, but Koch came up with two saves to keep her team ahead. Georgetown successfully cleared the ball with over three minutes to play and proceeded to run out clock to hold onto the win.

Despite the disappointing end to the season, several Blue Jays garnered post-season honors. Key, a 2006 Tewaaraton nominee, earned First Team All-America honors from the IWLCA, InsideLacrosse.com and womenslacrosse.com. She was also a First Team All-ALC honoree. Stamper, also named First Team All-ALC, earned second team All-America honors from InsideLacrosse.com and womenslacrosse.com. Gallion, named to the ALC Second Team, was also named to the IWLCA Second Team Mid-Atlantic Region. Senior defenseman Ashley Schwarzmann, selected to play in the IWLCA North-South All-Star game, was named to the ALC Second Team. Senior defenseman Kelley Putnam was also selected to the IWLCA North-South All-Star game.