W. Soccer loses 1, ties 1 in Red Dragon Cup
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In a matchup that turned out to be a gem of a game, the Blue Jays returned to action against No. 8 ranked Oneonta on Sunday after the 2-1 loss to Keene. Both teams showed indefatigable endurance, playing through 110 minutes of regulation as well as two overtime periods.
"We were playing on their home field, without our starting sweeper, so we had our work cut out for us," said Hopkins' head coach Leo Weil.
Both team defenses were on their respective games, but goalie Annie Adamcyk was particularly outstanding in goal for the Blue Jays. Straight off a strong four-save performance against Keene State, Adamcyk made three crucial saves. Jen Goebel also came in to record three saves. The Blue Jay defense remained staunch, even though Hopkins was out shot 14-7 and was at a disadvantage with corner kicks (6-2).
Weil was happy with his team's play, staying dead-even with a team that not only was physically bigger than the Jays, but also the home-favorite.
"We went to a little different formation, and our players really rose to the challenge.," said Weil after the game. "We have been dominated in the air by strong teams, but held our own against a taller Oneonta team. Both teams had their chances, but I thought the tie was a fair result. Brenda Bzdak, a sophomore from Mequon, WI, stepped in at sweeper for all but the last 10 minute overtime, and had a great game. Juniors Jenn Sciarpelletti and Kathleen Turley really controlled the middle of the field for us."
The players were also enthusiastic about their performance against one of the top Division III teams in the country.
"We played our best game yet," remarked freshman Lindsey Kimura, who plays midfield as well as defense.
The Blue Jays matched up against the Keene State Owls in the first round of the tournament, and got off to a sluggish start. Hopkins yielded an early goal to Keene State sophomore Amber-Lynn Lyman, who deftly headed in a crossing pass less than 10 minutes into the game.
After falling into an early hole, the Jays were able to elevate their game, dominating play for much of the first half. The first half step towards a comeback began with an unassisted goal by junior Jennifer Kent from the top of the box in the 34th minute of play.
Playing as underdogs in a game rife with emotion, the Lady Jays were unable to capitalize further on the change of momentum. The game was played in a back-and-forth fashion until Keene State senior Jennifer Ortisi scored the game winning shot in the 50th minute.
The Blue Jays were never able to respond, and the upset attempt fell short as the final whistle sounded, and Keene State narrowly escaped with a 2-1 victory.
"I thought we played pretty hard," said Weil. "After kind of a slow start, we pretty much dominated the second part of the first half. We played hard again in the second half, but not as skillfully as we could have. I thought we were the better team overall, and was disappointed with the result. Freshman defender Nikkole Haines was outstanding in defeat."
Overall, both teams received rewards from this heated battle. Oneonta State, by virtue of beating the College of New Jersey, won the Cup. Hopkins, though finishing fourth, proved it can compete with nationally ranked teams like Keene State and Oneonta State.
This weekend's strong performance should give the Jays a renewed confidence as they approach the meat of their Centennial Conference schedule, which will determine whether or not the Lady Jays can manage to make another NCAA Playoff appearance this fall.
The Blue Jays returned to action this Wednesday at home against St. Mary's. After over 85 scoreless minutes of play, the Jays won by a score of 1-0.
In a game dominated by strong defense on both sides of the field, Hopkins' junior midfielder Kathleen Turley put home the game winner with less than five minutes remaining in the game.
Adamczyk earned a shutout, racking up three saves in the process, against local rival St. Mary's (2-3). The win improves the Blue Jays' record to 4-2-1 on the season.
Hopkins opens its Centennial Conference schedule on Homewood Field this Saturday, Sept. 20 against Haverford College.