Release courtesy of Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications

BALTIMORE, Md. – The 13^th-ranked and top-seeded Johns Hopkins women's soccer team made a first-half goal from freshman Katie Derby stand up as the Blue Jays claimed their fifth consecutive Centennial Conference title and the 16^th since the league added a tournament in 2001 with a 1-0 victory against third-seeded Dickinson Sunday afternoon at Homewood Field.

The Blue Jays run their winning streak to 11 games, improve to 15-1-2 overall and earn the Centennial's automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Tournament with the win.  The Red Devils had a three-game winning streak snapped and slip to 14-3-4 with the loss; the Red Devils figure to be in a strong position to land an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament when the bracket is announced on Monday (Nov. 9) at 11:30 am.
 
A tight, well-played first half saw the game's only goal in the 19^th minute as the Blue Jays capitalized on a Dickinson turnover in the midfield and struck in transition.  Playing off a free kick, a blind Red Devil pass to the middle of the field found the foot of Johns Hopkins junior Carolyn Johnson, who quickly fed classmate Gwen Rauvola in the middle of the field.  Rauvola one-touched a pass between two defenders that sprung Derby in on Dickinson goalie Pico Gray.  Gray came hard out of the box to try and beat Derby to the lead pass, but Derby got there first and poked a shot past her from 30 yards out and it found the empty net for what proved to be the game-winning goal.

Both teams had a chance to dent the scoreboard further – the Blue Jays with an insurance goal and the Devils with an equalizer – but Derby's goal would hold up for more than 70 minutes.
 
Johnson and Kendall Frederick tested Gray in a three-minute span in the second half, but she was equal to Johnson's header and perfectly positioned to stop Fredericks's offering from the side of the box after a Red Devil turnover.  She later stopped Johnson's quick shot from in-tight as she hugged the post and gave her little to shoot at.
 
For their part, the Red Devils forced Johns Hopkins goalie Ella Kruntchev into making four saves on the day with two in each half.  In the last 20 minutes, Norah Heacock's header off a free kick floated right to her, while a Joelle Ma drive from distance had pace, but was also right at her
 
The Blue Jays held a 15-8 advantage in shots and collected seven of the 10 corners in the game.

After anchoring a Johns Hopkins defense that allowed just 14 shots and no goals in two Centennial Conference Tournament games, Johns Hopkins sophomore Maddie Burchfiel was named the Tournament MVP.