For the first time in Centennial Conference history, three CC teams will compete in the second round of the NCAA field hockey tournament. All three CC teams advanced through the first round of the NCAA tournament on Wednesday with home victories. Johns Hopkins downed Denison 2-0, Ursinus outlasted Stevens 3-2 in overtime, and Swarthmore blanked Scranton 4-0.
In Baltimore, Md., Johns Hopkins got goals in the first and third quarters to beat Denison, 2-0, at Homewood Field. The Blue Jays improve to 17-4 on the season and advance to the NCAA Sweet 16. The Big Red see their 16-game win streak snapped as they end the season at 16-3.
Hopkins took the early lead when it was awarded a penalty stroke at 12:33 in the first. Sarah Chilton, as she has done 11 times already this year, converted by beating Therese Lucian to the left post. JHU got the insurance goal it was looking for just 2:10 into the third as the Blue Jays capitalized on a penalty corner. Kaitlin Coward centered the ball to Ava Zimmerman and she tipped it between her own legs to Catherine D'Arcy on the back side. D'Arcy, with a defender on her, redirected it past Lucian and a Big Red defender. That would do it as Hopkins punched its ticket back to the NCAA Sweet 16.
Hopkins will take on seventh-ranked Stevenson on Saturday, November 14 in Medford, Mass. Game time scheduled for 2:00 pm at Tufts' Ounjian Field.
In Collegeville, Pa., Marie Brainard scored the game-winning goal just 41 seconds into overtime, sending the 13th-ranked Ursinus field hockey team past Stevens Institute of Technology, 3-2, on Wednesday evening at Snell Alumnae Field.
Brainard led the Bears offensively, scoring a pair of goals to mark her 20th and 21st goals of the season. Sophomore Carlyn McKendrick posted the Bears' first goal of the evening, with senior midfielder Kirsten Johnson adding two assists for Ursinus.
The victory marked the Bears' first in the NCAA Tournament since defeating Trinity College, 2-1, in November 2016. It also was a special victory for Ursinus on the sidelines, as head coach Janelle reached 200 career victories, surpassing legendary Eleanor Frost Snell for the most wins in program history. The victory also tied the NCAA record for overtime wins in a season, as the Bears recorded their seventh overtime victory of the season.
The Bears return to action Saturday, November 14, traveling to No. 3 Christopher Newport for the second round at 11 a.m.
In Swarthmore, Pa., 15th-ranked Swarthmore made history by recording its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory with a 4-0 shutout of No. 20 Scranton at a packed Clothier Field Stadium.
The Garnet move on to the second round on Saturday, November 14 at Tufts. Swarthmore will battle the top-ranked Jumbos, who are the defending national champion, in the Round of 16.
Hannah Ulrich opened the scoring in the first quarter and the Garnet pulled away in the second half with goals by Kayla Fink, Magdelana Jordan, and Julia Powell. Ulrich added two assists to finish with a four-point night. Josie Sarno made two saves to record her eighth shutout.
