 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
2 MINUTE WARNING: Herons top Jays with furious comeback
September 4 , 2005
GENEVA, N.Y.—The William Smith field hockey team scored twice in the final two minutes of regulation to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, 3-2, over visiting Johns Hopkins University this afternoon on McCooey Field. Senior Maggie Dolan (Towson/Towson, Md.) score the game-winner with just 59 seconds remaining.
Trailing 2-1 with time running out, the Herons (2-1) earned a penalty corner. Junior Sophie Dennis (Dana L. West/Port Byron, N.Y.) put the ball on the stick of senior Amy Kuzio (Clinton/Clinton, N.Y.), who took one step to her right and drove the tying goal into the lower right corner of the cage with 1:42 remaining. Normally the player who stops the corner for the powerful blast of senior Lauren Fuller (Shaker/Loudonville, N.Y.), Kuzio caught the Blue Jays by surprise with her shot.
Forty-three seconds later, Dolan scored what a “SportsCenter” quality Top Play goal. Chasing a bouncing rebound with her back to the cage, Dolan shot blindly between her legs for her second goal of the season.
Vastly outplayed in the first half, William Smith benefited from a staunch defense that withstood a nearly constant barrage from the Blue Jays (1-2). Senior goalie Sue Jordan (Boothbay/Boothbay, Maine) made five of her seven saves in the first half.
At the other end of the field, the Herons didn’t get off their first shot until 20 minutes into the contest and placed just two on the cage in the first stanza. Nonetheless the teams were still scoreless at halftime.
Fuller started the second half scoring, driving home a penalty corner assisted by Kuzio and Dennis just 1:29 into the period. Ten minutes later, Hopkins equalized on an unassisted goal by sophomore Sarah Bender (Tabor Academy/Mattapoisett, Mass.).
With less than five minutes remaining, junior Leah Dudley (Westborough/Westborough, Mass.) gave the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead, finishing a feed from sophomore Kristin Strief (Garden City (N.Y.)/Cary, N.C.), to set up the drama of the final two minutes.
JHU junior goalie Dayna Eng (Centennial/Ellicott City, Md.) finished the day with six saves.
William Smith returns to action at 2 p.m. on Sept. 10, when the Herons travel to Oswego.