News-Letter

Media Credit: Shiv Gandhi [Click to enlarge]

Most anniversary celebrations don't end in heartbreak. Unfortunately for the women's lacrosse team, the milestone 500th game in program history resulted in an 11-10 triple overtime loss to their conference rivals, the Vanderbilt University Commodores. The loss brought back some painful memories of a similar defeat, a double overtime loss -- tabbed as one of the team's closest games ever -- against Princeton by the same score only one month ago.

Hopkins has amassed a disappointing 6-5 record over the course of an up-and-down season. Plagued by inconsistency, the Lady Jays seem frustrated. One can only expect as much after two shocking, last second losses.

Against Vanderbilt, senior attacker and co-captain Key again took it upon herself to sound the cavalry in the beginning of the match, scoring first for Hopkins for the third game in a row. Regrettably, the rest of the players took a while to respond, adding only two more goals in the first period.

But the Blue Jay defense had a better read on the Vanderbilt offense in the second half. They needed every inch they could get, as eight turnovers during the first 30 minutes of the game put Hopkins in what seemed like an insurmountable hole.

Luckily, the offense came back from halftime rejuvenated. They finally woke up in the second half, producing a 7-goal period to come back and tie it up with two and a half minutes left. Enter Sarah Walsh.

With only seconds left in the game, red-shirt senior attacker Walsh fired a miraculous shot into the Commodores' net for what should have been the go-ahead goal for Hopkins.

But to the Jays' dismay, a technicality in the official rules robbed the Jays of the victory.

The game felt over to both teams. The Commodores' head coach Cathy Swezey called for a stick check on Walsh, seemingly a last ditch effort to keep the match alive. Then to the Jays' shock and dismay, the officials sided with Vanderbilt and declared Walsh's stick to be illegal. The game was headed for overtime.

"If we were in the same position, we would probably have asked for [a stick check], too. However, my stick was legal before the check, during the check and after the check. All it would have taken is a fair set of eyes to recognize that," Walsh said.

A stick check is typically performed at the beginning of each game as protocol to verify that all players are using the proper equipment, and it includes close inspection of the goggles, mouth guard and lacrosse stick.

When examining the stick, a regulation ball is gently placed into the pocket of the stick.

"During Sarah's stick check, they exerted pressure and pressed the ball into her stick," senior midfielder Steph Janice said. She contends that that pressure was the difference between Walsh's check at the end of regulation and her pre-game check.

"[Either] there should be a standard of pressure applied to the ball into the stick or no pressure at all, and the ball shouldn't be touched at all once in the [pocket] to deem it legal or illegal," she said.

The girls had no choice but to soldier on into overtime.

Key tried to end the game once and for all, just narrowly missing the cage with the only shot from either team in the first overtime.

Neither team, however, was willing to let this thrilling affair end in a tie. With 47 seconds left in triple overtime, a Vanderbilt shot passed by freshman goalie Lizze O'Ferrall -- making only her sixth career game appearance -- giving the Commodores the win.

Hopefully, the girls will find their stroke again in time for their four-game home-stand, beginning Wednesday against University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

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