NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The Capital Athletic
Conference champion Salisbury University women's soccer team saw
its season ended Saturday by Johns Hopkins University in overtime,
2-1. The Blue Jays halted Salisbury's amazing season that saw the
Sea Gulls march through the CAC tournament as a No. 3 seed. SU beat
three conference rivals and recorded an upset over a No. 2 seed on
its way to earn an automatic birth into the NCAA Division III
tournament. The first round exit is the Sea Gulls' first trip to
the NCAA tournament since 2000 were they advanced to the elite
eight.
It took two overtimes to decide a winner and JHU (18-2)
responded first with a goal in the in the second overtime in the
108th minute off the foot of senior midfielder Jessie McKenzie to
end the game as well as SU's season. SU All-CAC goalie
Samantha Phipps stopped nine shots on the day but
could not stone McKenzie's game winner.
The Gulls (10-7-1) trailed at halftime 1-0 and began the second
half looking for a scoring chance. That opportunity came at the 69
minute mark when junior forward Erin Casey netted
her seventh goal on the year to bring Salisbury back to even. The
Sea Gulls could not add another strike to take the lead.
Johns Hopkins limited Salisbury's all-time single season goal
leader, Kate Weaver (20 goals), to one shot, and
the rest of the Salisbury's offense was allowed only four shots to
Hopkins' 19. JHU held the advantage in corners, 6-3.
The Gulls saw their three game winning streak and three game
shutout streak come to an end as well. However, Salisbury made an
impressive turnaround from a year ago when the Gulls went 6-10-1
and were bounced in the first round of the CAC tournament.