BALTIMORE, MD – It took over 72 minutes of play on Tuesday night to decide a winner in a battle of top ten teams in the NFHCA but it was well worth it for the York College Spartans as they edged the #3 Johns Hopkins Blue Jays 3-2 in double overtime in Baltimore.
The Spartans got the deciding goal on a penalty corner 2:11 into the second overtime to knock off the Blue Jays for the second year in a row. The home loss for Hopkins snaps a 23-game match winning streak at Homewood Field.
The #9 Spartans improve to 5-1 while the Blue Jays fall to 5-2.
 
How It Happened
• The majority of the first half was played in the middle of the field until the Blue Jays had the best scoring chance of the period. Sophia Albano had a point-blank range shot but Spartan goalie Belle Fields made the stop to keep the game scoreless heading to the second quarter.
• Fields was forced to make the save on the opening shot of the second quarter as the Blue Jays had a transition opportunity just under five minutes into the quarter. With a little over four minutes left before the half, the Blue Jays had a flurry with a shot, a corner and another shot but the first was wide and the second was blocked as the Spartans escaped without damage.
• The Spartans struggled to get anything going offensively as they were out shot 6-0 in the first half including 2-0 in shots on goal. Hopkins also held a 2-0 margin in penalty corners.
• York came flying out of the halftime intermission and got their first shot just 59 second into the third quarter. Riley Buschert ripped a shot that was blocked but first year forward Claire Burrows buried the rebound for the 1-0 Spartan lead.
• The Green and White made it 2-0 in the 39^th minute as the Spartans back-to-back corners. On the second corner, Sam Ward inserted the ball to the top of the circle where senior Libby Wild drilled a shot into the back of the cage for the two-goal margin. The Blue Jays responded quickly with a goal of their own off a penalty corner. Emily Amsden hit a good insert to Sophie Gomez who hit a rocket from the top of the circle to slice the Spartan lead in half, 2-1.
• Much like the Spartans came fast out of the gate in the third, the Blue Jays seized control of momentum to start the fourth. That momentum paid off in the 51^st minute as the Blue Jays drew their eighth penalty corner of the night. Hopkins inserted the ball to Caeli Robinson at the top of the arc. She drove a ball to the left post and Kaitlin Coward tipped the ball into the cage, knotting the score at two.
• Hopkins continued to pressure the Spartans as Fields was forced to make two saves in the next two minutes of play to keep the game tied at two. That would be the remainder of the offense as the teams headed to overtime. The Blue Jays out shot York 9-0 in the fourth quarter.
• The Spartans had an early chance in the first overtime as they drew a corner and got an Olivia Miller shot that was blocked. The Blue Jays had a great counter and had a golden opportunity but couldn't connect on a nice feed as the Green and White escaped. The Blue Jays got a Lila Slattery shot on a breakaway with 13 seconds left but the shot dribbled wide as the teams headed to a second overtime.
• The Green and White won the game 2:11 into the second extra session as they drew a penalty corner. Buschert inserted to Miller who drilled home the chance for the game-winner, setting off a festive celebration on the Spartan sideline.
• The Blue Jays finished the game with a 20-5 bulge in total shots but just a 7-4 margin in shots on goal. Hopkins had an 11-5 advantage in penalty corners but the Spartans scored on two of their five corners. Fields finished with five saves in the win.
 
Spartan Notes
The Spartans are now 7-4 all-time against Hopkins as York has won the last two in the series … the loss for Hopkins was their first home loss since a 2-1 setback against #3 Rowan University on September 10, 2022 … the Blue Jays have not given up three goals in a game since the last time they faced the Spartans in York's 3-1 win at Kinsley Field … the Blue Jays have only allowed three goals in a game twice since the start of the 2022 season, a span of 53 games … the Spartans were limited to a season-low five shots but they scored on three of those five attempts … senior goalie Belle Fields notched her 36^th career victory as she continues to close in on Meg Eckenrode's career wins total of 41 … York's two assists tied a season-high as Sam Ward and Riley Buschert each had a helper … Buschert leads the team with 10 points on her four goals and two assists … the game-winner for Olivia Miller was her first goal of the year and her fourth career game-winning goal … Claire Burrows first goal of the game was her first collegiate tally … Libby Wild notched her second goal of the year and her ninth career tally …
 
Up Next
The Spartans continue their four-game road trip this weekend with a trek to Newport News, Virginia for a pair of games. The Spartans square off against a pair of highly competitive programs as they face Ohio Wesleyan at 2:00 pm on Saturday followed by a match against #6 Christopher Newport at 2:00 pm on Sunday.