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After another top-10 victory at home, the Lake Show returned to the winning column in emphatic fashion.
Following an upset win over No. 1 North Carolina, No. 11 Northwestern stunned No. 7 Johns Hopkins 16-10 on Sunday at Ryan Fieldhouse. Though the first half went down to the wire, the ‘Cats surged for a four-goal advantage in the third quarter, leaving no hope for the Blue Jays in the final frame.
“It wasn’t wire-to-wire for us,” coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said. “I think we had good moments, and we were playing with heart and aggression throughout the game.”
Madison Taylor led the way with six goals. Maddie Epke posted a season-high five goals with two assists. Madison Smith dominated with seven draw controls, while Jenika Cuocco contributed 11 saves.
After Kate Ratanaproeksa picked up a ground ball, the play led to Northwestern’s offense, which Epke capped with a free-position goal to open the game. But the Blue Jays answered for a 1-1 tie in three minutes, with Ava Angello finishing with a quick shot. Following teammate Laurel Gonzalez’s draw control, JHU added another by Taylor Hoss for its first lead at 2-1 in just 30 seconds.
Johns Hopkins then controlled the tempo offensively. Angello’s shot drifted wide, but the Blue Jays retained possession with two more attempts by Gonzalez and Hoss. The relentless attack eventually ended with Northwestern’s Annabel Child picking up a ground ball after a JHU turnover.
Building on that transition, the ‘Cats tied the score at the 7:30 mark in the first quarter. Delivered by Jenna Soto, Taylor capitalized on the man-up play and fired it home. After a timeout, both teams remained scoreless over the next four minutes until the final three minutes of the frame. Child forced a turnover from JHU’s Sienna Chirieleison and launched another attack. Aditi Foster fed Taylor Lapointe for the third goal. The sophomore then delivered another pass for Taylor, who broke away from the right post and found space for a finish.
Johns Hopkins answered at the 1:30 mark through Paige Willard. Lacey Downey followed with a free-position conversion 30 seconds later to tie the game 4-4 heading into the second quarter.
Taylor was whistled for a yellow card two minutes into the second quarter after being penalized for illegal contact with Angello. Though the ‘Cats smothered two free-position chances, they conceded the fifth to Chirieleison on a close-range attempt.
Epke stepped up for Northwestern’s fifth goal. After Noel Cumberland navigated through a series of JHU stick checks, she slowed down and passed to Epke for further organization, slipping the shot around a defender’s back. The senior transfer struck again moments later. After picking up a scoop-and-volley from Ratanaproeksa, she spun around and found space on her right for a quick finish. Northwestern regained the lead 6-5 with roughly six minutes remaining in the first half.
“We have such a talented group of offensive girls overall, and they just push me and have so much belief in me,” Epke said.
After her first rushing attempt sailed off target, Taylor connected on the second under contact, beating the clock with a slide to the left corner of the net. A minute later, Downey unleashed a low-bouncing shot via free position. The Blue Jays then immediately tied the game after Reagan O’Brien caused a turnover that led to a counter, with Hoss converting Downey’s feed.
Cumberland strode past stick checks by two defenders and rattled a powerful shot into the net. Cuocco corralled JHU’s final shot of the half by McKenzey Craig, caused by Downey’s defensive pressure. Northwestern held a narrow 8-7 edge at halftime.
Epke opened the second half with her third goal. After a timeout, Cumberland drove toward the cage and powered home another goal under pressure, extending the ‘Cats’ advantage to three.
Mckenzie Brown fought for a ground ball behind the crease, darting forward through the midfield for an ensuing Northwestern attack that Olivia Adamson finished with the team’s 11th goal on a cut.
Though Child’s shot hit the high post, Epke again forced a turnover to retain possession, which Taylor capitalized on for the ‘Cats’ four-goal cushion.
“She’s the ultimate competitor, and she just goes out there and competes with a lot of heart every time she’s on the field,” Amonte Hiller said. “When the game is on the line, that’s when competitors really step up.”
Cuocco held the backline firmly while the Blue Jays’ offense remained scoreless for five minutes. Following Cuocco’s save on Hoss’ shot, Taylor scored her fifth goal at the 2:44 mark before the final frame.
Though Downey’s free-position shot hit the post, Willard picked up the ball to retain JHU’s offense. The team’s scoring drought was eventually broken by Chirieleison at the end of the third quarter, with Northwestern holding a 13-9 lead entering the final 15 minutes.
The Blue Jays cut it close with Chirieleison’s free-position conversion at 13:10. Northwestern then kept the distance safe. After Adamson missed a free position, Child covered with a follow-up goal. After nearly four minutes without goals, Northwestern built a five-goal cushion when Taylor cleaned up Foster’s missed shot.
With six minutes remaining, Johns Hopkins added one through Angello in a man-down scenario. But after Epke’s fifth goal in the final minute, the ‘Cats had sealed the victory, securing their 12th straight win over Johns Hopkins.
Northwestern will stay home on April 4, facing USC at 2 p.m. CT.
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