The College had two games this week, which saw them fight No. 14 Strawthmore for a tie before falling to No. 24 Johns Hopkins in a tough loss.
Heading into the week, the College had a record of 2-2-1, putting up valiant efforts thus far, considering their arduous schedule
Facing their toughest test yet, the Lions traveled to Swarthmore to take on the No. 14-ranked team.
Despite the difficult opponent, the College came out swinging against Swarthmore, getting on the board first at the 7:49 mark, with junior Alyssa Alfano scoring her second goal of the season, on a nice setup from senior Abby Najdzinowicz.
The Lions' defense completely stymied the attack from Swarthmore, as they did not allow a goal in the first half, despite being outshot nine to six in the opening 45 minutes. The College had a few more close chances, but went into the half with just the one-goal lead.
Swarthmore came out uber aggressive in the second half, putting shot after shot against the College’s defense. And less than 15 minutes into the final period, Swarthmore jumped in front after cashing in consecutive chances to make the score 2-1. Now trailing, the resilience that the College has shown so far this year continued, as they refused to back down against the ranked opponent.
At the 67:06 mark, sophomore Elaina Williams scored her first goal, burying a free kick to put the game back even at two apiece. Both teams had real scoring chances in the remainder of the game, but neither could break the tie as the College drew Swarthmore 2-2.
Now 2-2-2, the Lions tried to build off their impressive tie against the tough Swarthmore squad when they returned home to host No. 24-ranked Johns Hopkins.
Johns Hopkins wasted no time, peppering the College with a flurry of shots, before eventually breaking through at the 16:51 mark. Johns Hopkins dominated the shots, tallying eight in the first half to just one from the College.
Despite the number of shots, the Lions held strong, conceding just one goal going into the half to keep the game within reach.
The Blue Jays didn’t waste any time in the second half, scoring less than two minutes into the half, and then putting two more up on the board to gain a four-goal advantage over the College. The Lions lost 4-0, marking the third time they have been shut out this season, bringing their record to 2-3-2 on the young season.
The College’s homestand continues, as they’ll wrap up their last two out-of-conference games against Penn State Harrisburg and Stevens, respectively. After that, they will begin their New Jersey Athletic Conference play on Sept. 27. against Kean.
The next game for the College comes at home against Penn State Harrisburg on Saturday, Sept. 20.
