March 17, 2004

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - Johns Hopkins freshman Mary Key (Stevensville, MD/St. Mary's of Annapolis) and senior Heidi Pearce (Chestertown, MD/St. Andrew's-DE) each scored four goals to lead the 15th-ranked Blue Jay women's lacrosse team to a 13-11 victory over George Mason Wednesday at Homewood Field.

Hopkins, which improved to 6-0 on the season, led 7-6 at the half and went up two when junior defender Lacey-Leigh Hentz (Hampstead, MD/North Carroll) scored just 16 seconds into the second period. However Patriots junior Kristy Manas scored off an assist from Lisa Hagan with 25:02 remaining and Sarah Bryant added an unassisted goal with 22:30 left to tie the game.

Pearce gave the Blue Jays the lead back with an unassisted goal at the 21:04 mark, and senior Marlena Wittelsberger (Phoenix, MD/Dulaney) added a goal just 21 seconds later to put Hopkins up 10-8. Manas, who finished with four goals for the Patriots, brought George Mason within one as she scored an unassisted goal with 11:04 to play, but Pearce answered with a goal off an assist from junior Erin Riordan (Bay Shore, NY/Bay Shore) with 9:39 remaining.

Manas scored 24 seconds later to make it an 11-10 game, but Pearce scored a free position goal with 7:30 left and junior Anne Crisafulli (Garden City, NY/Garden City) scored with 4:17 on the clock to give Hopkins a three-goal lead.

Tracey Waterson scored with 16 seconds to play for George Mason, which fell to 0-2 on the year, but Pearce won the ensuing draw control and the Blue Jays ran the clock out.

Pearce opened the scoring with a free position goal 1:54 into the game, but Kristen Olsen answered 57 seconds later to tie the game at 1-1. Key then scored off a Wittelsberger pass at the 26:33 mark, but Lisa Hagan, Manas, Melissa Venturi and Waterson each scored unassisted goals to put George Mason ahead 5-2 with 11:39 remaining in the half.

Following a Hopokins time out, freshman Steph Janice (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) scored off a feed from Riordan with 10:21 left, and Key added two unassisted goals to tie the game at 5-5 with 7:47 on the clock. Hentz won the ensuing draw control and scored 13 seconds later, and Key tacked on a free position goal at the 2:14 mark before Jeannine Ohler brought the Patriots within one at the break with a free position goal seven seconds before halftime.

The Blue Jays held a 41-21 shot advantage, but Patriots goalkeeper Meg Dentler made 18 saves to keep George Mason in the game. Sophomore Lauren Riddick (Crozet, VA/St. Anne's-Belfield) stopped five shots for Hopkins, which won the ground ball battle, 32-25, and won 17 of 26 draw controls.

Pearce collected a team-high five ground balls for the Blue Jays, while Hentz and junior Kristen Miller (Baltimore, MD/Notre Dame Prep) each added three ground balls and two caused turnovers. Junior Kelley Putnam (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) won a team-high four draw controls for Hopkins, which snapped a two-game losing streak to the Patriots.

The Blue Jays look to remain unbeaten Sunday when Hopkins hosts 13th-ranked Boston University at 12 noon.

George Mason (0-2)       6  5  -11
#15 Johns Hopkins (6-0)  7  6  -13

GOALS: JHU- Pearce 4, Key 4, Hentz 2, Wittelsberger, Crisafulli, Janice. GMU- Manas 4,
 Waterson 2, Hagan, Bryant, Venturi, Ohler, Olson. ASSISTS: JHU- Riordan 2, Wittelsberger.
GMU- Hagan. SAVES: JHU- Riddick (5 sv, 11 GA); GMU- Dentler (18 sv, 13 GA).