Championship Central
Top-seeded Swarthmore and second-seeded Johns Hopkins both posted 1-0 home victories in the Centennial Conference women's semifinals on Friday night to move on to the championship round. The Garnet (14-2-3) will host the Blue Jays (14-4-1) on Sunday at 12 p.m. at Clothier Field Stadium.
Sunday's matchup will mark the sixth overall title showdown between the two sides and first since 2018. The sixth title meeting is tied for the most frequent championship matchup in CC history (Hopkins has also faced Dickinson six times). The Garnet hold a 3-2 edge in previous title matchups vs. the Blue Jays. Hopkins is the three-time defending champion and is seeking its 18th CC crown, while the Garnet will vie for their fourth conference title.
In Swarthmore, Pa., 13th-ranked Swarthmore outlasted visiting Franklin & Marshall, 1-0, in the Centennial Conference semifinals on Friday night. The top-seeded Garnet advance to the conference title game for the first time since 2018. Swarthmore will host second-seeded Johns Hopkins on Sunday afternoon at Clothier Field Stadium at noon.
Lauren Lior scored the lone goal of the night for the Garnet and Dahlia Bedward made four saves to pick up her sixth shutout of the season. The victory also marked the 250th career win for head coach Todd Anckaitis.
Late in the first half, Lior looked to spark the offense, getting off three shots in the closing five minutes. Her effort paid off in the 43rd minute as she netted her second goal of the campaign to give the Garnet the lead. Jordan Vrees brought the ball downfield in transition and found Kate Anderson with a pass to her left. Anderson continued to move the ball left to Lior at the top of the box and the junior fired in a rainbow shot just under the bar to give her team the upper hand.
In Baltimore, Md., 18th-ranked and second-seeded Johns Hopkins got a goal from senior Natalie Smith shortly after she entered the game midway through the first half and the defense made the one goal stand up as the Blue Jays advanced to the Centennial Conference Championship game with a 1-0 victory over Dickinson at Homewood Field Friday evening.
Smith subbed on at the 28:33 mark and needed less than a minute – 58 seconds to be exact – to find the back of the net with what proved to be the game-winner. Maria Romo-Nichols was able to control the ball on the wing and sprung Tatum Adamson down the side and she pressured the endline. There, she was able to work free and send a cross towards the near post that Smith headed home just over the hands of Gray, who had little time to react to Smith's offering.
Dickinson's two best chances of the night came in the final 15 minutes, but Joelle Ma's free kick in the 76th minute was easily saved by Ella Kruntchev and Lila Brown's header off a corner a short time later drifted wide of the post.
Johns Hopkins held a 14-3 advantage in shots and both teams had three corner kicks in the game.
FIRST ROUND: Tuesday, Nov. 5 | at #3 & #4 seeds
#4 Dickinson d. #5 Swarthmore, 2-1 (2OT) | Box Score
#3 Franklin & Marshall d. #6 Haverford, 1-0 (OT) | Box Score
SEMIFINALS: Friday, Nov. 8 | at #1 & #2 seeds
#3 Franklin & Marshall d. #2 McDaniel, 2-1 | Box Score
#1 Johns Hopkins d. #4 Dickinson, 3-0 | Box Score
CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, Nov. 10 | Baltimore, Md.
#3 Franklin & Marshall at #1 Johns Hopkins, 12 p.m. | BUY TICKETS
