A fourth-quarter comeback helped the No. 6 Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team narrowly avoid an upset.
Coming off a blowout win on Saturday, the Seawolves (7-2, 2-0 CAA) came out sluggishly against the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays in Baltimore on Wednesday. Stony Brook flipped a switch in the fourth quarter to win 12-9, avoiding its first loss to an unranked team since 2019.
With the game tied 6-6 with just over two minutes left in the third quarter, Johns Hopkins midfielder Ava Angello attempted a shot that hit the post behind the cage. The ball deflected off goalkeeper Hailey Duchnowski and dribbled into the net, giving the Blue Jays a 7-6 lead. Johns Hopkins struck again less than a minute later to take an 8-6 lead into the final frame.
The Seawolves had a rough offensive game through the first three periods. They scored just six goals on a 33.3% shooting percentage while also turning the ball over 12 times. Midfielder Ellie Masera epitomized those struggles, as Stony Brook’s leading-scorer on the season had three turnovers. However, she came out on a mission in the final frame, scoring two unassisted goals within the first 2:29 of the quarter to tie the game at eight apiece.
With 8:53 remaining, Masera rifled a sidearm shot into the net to give Stony Brook the lead. The Blue Jays proved to be challenging to put away, as they tied the game again on the next possession. Attacker Kailyn Hart responded on the possession after, restoring a Seawolves lead they would never relinquish.
Following Hart’s goal with 6:17 remaining, Stony Brook played some clutch defense. First, midfielder Erin MacQuarrie forced a turnover in a one-on-one situation to waste time off the clock. After that, defender Haley Dillon scooped up a contested ground ball with 2:50 left after a shot by Johns Hopkins hit the post. The ground ball led to midfielder Charlotte Verhulst tacking on a goal through a free-position shot to seal the win.
Midfielder Jaden Hampel tacked on an extra goal with four seconds left for good measure, putting the finishing touches on Stony Brook’s second consecutive win.
Stony Brook had the advantage in several key departments on Wednesday. It controlled 15 of the 25 draws, using the extra possessions to outshoot Johns Hopkins 28-19. The Blue Jays shot themselves in the foot by committing four more turnovers than the Seawolves. Stony Brook also won the ground ball battle 20-12.
Offensively, Masera led the way with five goals on eight shots. Hart and attacker Mitchell Morgan scored two goals each, while MacQuarrie scored one.
The Seawolves’ three assists was their second-lowest mark of the year. Hampel had two of them and Hart dished out the other.
Dillon led Stony Brook with a season-high six ground balls while also causing a pair of turnovers. Defender Lindsay Rongo finished with two caused turnovers of her own, and is now second on the team (behind Dillon) in that department.
Duchnowski had a tough day, saving only 25% of the shots she faced.
Johns Hopkins midfielder Charlotte Smith had a career-high four goals off the bench to lead her team. Midfielders Bailey Cheetham and Megan Kielbasa each finished with two goals.
Head coach Joe Spallina did not speak to the media after the game.
Stony Brook will return to conference play on Sunday when it takes on the Drexel Dragons at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium. The game is scheduled for 1 p.m. The Dragons sit at 7-3 on the year and 1-1 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play, coming off a 9-5 win over San Diego State.
