COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The 11th-ranked Ursinus College field hockey team suffered a heartbreaking defeat on Senior Day as No. 9 Johns Hopkins scored with 7.3 seconds left in double overtime to steal a 4-3 Centennial Conference thriller.
The Bears (9-6, 5-3) fell behind 2-0 but stormed back with a second-quarter flurry, pouring in three unanswered goals in a four-minute span. Devon Carroll potted two of the markers, including one with 5.8 ticks left before halftime to put Ursinus ahead 3-2.
Johns Hopkins (13-2, 8-0) rallied to tie it in the third quarter and, despite a heavy spell of pressure by the Bears towards the end of regulation and in overtime, managed to take advantage of their one clear chance. After earning a corner with 15.7 seconds left, a series of passes eventually left Michaela Corvi with a good look at the cage, and she cashed in with the game-winner to keep the Blue Jays unbeaten in conference play.
Gemma Dufoe scored a goal and Erin Saybolt handed out two assists after joining Anna Hall and Brianne Nicholas in a pregame ceremony honoring their many contributions to the program over the last four years.
Erin McIlhenny put in an incredible performance on the other end, establishing what is believed to be a program record with three defensive saves.
McIlhenny made a pair of defensive saves in the first quarter, one of which came directly before a penalty stroke goal by Katie McErlean as Johns Hopkins drew first blood. The junior had another less than two minutes into the second period, giving her a trio in a span of only five minutes.
Despite McIlhenny's heroics, the Blue Jays still grabbed a 2-0 advantage five minutes into the second quarter. It was all Bears until halftime.
Following a corner, Saybolt fed a pass to Carroll, who dribbled in and plugged a shot at the right post to get the home side on the board. Saybolt then had a shot deflected by Dufoe from the left end line and into the cage with 1:31 left before halftime.
Ursinus went on top for the first time in the waning seconds of the half, taking advantage of another corner. Mary Margaret Baldy inserted for Hall, who stopped it at the top of the circle and left Carroll to blast home.
Johns Hopkins dominated the third quarter, racking up 11 shots in the frame. Baldy notched a defensive save to keep the Bears in front, but the Blue Jays pulled even on a goal by Izzy Thompson with 5:13 to go.
Ursinus had four consecutive corners in the latter stages of the fourth quarter but was unable to capitalize, and Addie Frey was forced into a save as time expired to get the game into overtime. The Bears produced four corners and four shots in the first session, but could not slot a winner into the back of the cage.
Carroll (12) and Saybolt (7) combined for all but two of the Bears' 21 shots on the day. Johns Hopkins finished with 28, including 15 on target; Frey racked up 11 saves and McIlhenny and Baldy combined to stop the others.
Ursinus had a whopping 20 penalty corners on the day, eight more than Hopkins.
All six of the Bears' losses this season have been by a single goal, and three of them came in double overtime to top-10 squads in Rowan, TCNJ, and Hopkins.
The field hockey team continues its season Wednesday at Washington College.