BALTIMORE, Md. – The top-ranked Salisbury University field hockey team opened up its season with four-straight home games and four-straight wins. On Wednesday evening the Sea Gulls made it five in a row, this time on the road, with a 4-0 victory against No. 20-ranked Johns Hopkins University.

The maroon and gold shut the Blue Jays (1-3) down in the first half, firing off 19 shots; Johns Hopkins took just three. The Sea Gulls (5-0, 1-0 Capital Athletic Conference) also dominated in penalty corner opportunities, taking seven in the first 35 minutes of play while a stellar Salisbury defense prevented the Blue Jays from earning any penalty corners.

Two of Salisbury's three first-half goals came in the first nine minutes of play. Sophomore forward Erica Henderson opened up scoring for the maroon and gold in the sixth minute off an assist from junior forward Caitlin Walker. Less than two minutes later, senior midfielder Kandice Hancock made it a two-goal game by firing a shot past Blue Jay goalkeeper Kim Stein (14 saves). The third and final score of the half came off the stick of Courtney Webster, who harnessed a pass from freshman forward Rebecca Hasz and ripped a shot that found its way to the back of the cage. It was her first goal of the season.

Salisbury continued its offensive push in the second half, outshooting Johns Hopkins 22-1. The Sea Gulls' fourth and final goal of the game came in the 42nd minute of play as junior back Tara McGovern dribbled the ball into the circle from 20 yards out; her shot, just shy of the goal, was tipped in by teammate Katy Lamboni. Lamboni, a senior forward, fired off a team-high four shots on goal (seven shots total).

The win denotes Salisbury's fourth shutout of the season. The Sea Gulls have scored 15 goals in five games. The single goal they have allowed all year came in their season opener against CAC opponent the University of Mary Washington.

Salisbury's next contest, against Messiah College on Sept. 18, will be a battle of the top two Division III teams in the country. A rematch of the NCAA Division III national championship game back on Nov. 22, 2009 in which the Sea Gulls won 1-0 to capture the program's fifth national title, the game is slated to begin at 1 p.m. in Grantham, Pa.