

Johns Hopkins women's lacrosse defeated Army West Point 21-13, advancing to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. This marks the program's first quarterfinal appearance since 2007 and a new school record for wins in a season.
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Coach Tim McCormack said the journey for Johns Hopkins womenâs lacrosse began in August.
That quest looks rosier now.
The Blue Jays used an 8-3 run over the final 23 minutes to put the finishing touch on a 21-13 victory over visiting Army West Point in an NCAA Tournament second-round matchup Sunday afternoon before an announced 484 at Homewood Field in Baltimore.
The victory ensured that Johns Hopkins (16-4), the No. 4 seed in the postseason, set the schoolâs Division I record for wins in a season â tying the record set in 1994 when the program competed at the Division III level â and advanced to the quarterfinal round for only the second time in program history and first time since 2007. That squad was bounced by Duke, but freshman attacker Paige Willard said she and her teammates are eager to set a new standard.
âGrowing up, you kind of dream of these moments to be here and make it to however far you can make it,â she said. âSo I think everyone just wants to win for each other and do it for each other.â
The Blue Jays will host the quarterfinal on Thursday at a time to be announced against No. 5 seed Stony Brook, which held off 2021 and 2024 national champion Boston College, 10-9. The Seawolves improved to 19-2 and are riding a 15-game winning streak.
Junior midfielder Lacey Downey said the Blue Jays know what is at stake, especially for a senior class hungry for continued success.
âWe went out there knowing we wanted to win, knowing we had to win to have more days with this group,â she said. âWe love our seniors, but if we lose, theyâre gone. So, we just have to keep winning.â
The offense still fuels Johns Hopkins. With 21 goals against Albany in Fridayâs first round and now the Black Knights, the Blue Jays are only the second in tournament history to rack up 20 goals or more in consecutive games, joining the Eagles, who did it in 2017, 2021 and 2024.
With a game-high six goals, senior attacker Ava Angello continued her rise in the Blue Jaysâ record book. Already the schoolâs Division I leader for goals in a single season (74), she is three goals shy of Rebecca Savageâs all-time mark of 77 set in 1994 and two goals away from Mary Keyâs career record of 234 from 2004 to 2007.
But Angello was not the only Johns Hopkins player to singe the Army net. Willard had four goals and three assists, junior attacker Taylor Hoss compiled two goals and five assists, junior midfielder Lacey Downey totaled three goals and three assists, and freshman attacker McKenzey Craig came off the bench to provide three goals and two assists.
While Angello and Downey, the Big Tenâs Midfielder of the Year, draw the most attention from opponents, the unitâs ability to manufacture goals and assists from other sources is a valued commodity, Willard said.
Johns Hopkins women's lacrosse won against Army West Point 21-13 in the NCAA Tournament second round.
This advancement marks only the second time in program history that they have reached the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals and the first since 2007.
The head coach of Johns Hopkins women's lacrosse is Tim McCormack.
They set a new school record for wins in a season with 16 victories, tying the previous record from 1994.

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âI think on anyoneâs day, it could be someone elseâs,â she said. âSo I think [weâre] just trusting each other. If Iâm not having a good day, I could trust everyone else on the team to get it done.â
The Black Knights were sparked by two senior attackers, Allison Reillyâs three goals and four assists and Lily Valentiniâs four goals and two assists. Senior midfielder Brigid Duffy finished with two goals and an assist, ending her career with 259 goals to become the all-time leading goal scorer in Patriot League history.
But Army (15-5) never took a lead on Sunday. Even when the team whittled the deficit to 13-10 midway through the third quarter, the Blue Jays controlled the next two draws and scored back-to-back goals to maintain their advantage.
âWe felt like we almost had to play perfect in a way to not get the ball on the Johns Hopkins offensive side,â coach Michelle Tumolo said. âWe just needed to win the draw and not make mistakes because we just werenât stopping the ball we needed to on the defensive end. So I felt like it was a little stressful in that situation.â
Johns Hopkins and Stony Brook met March 8 at Homewood Field with the Blue Jays emerging with a 13-11 win. McCormack said they will review that game and the Seawolvesâ most recent matchups to get a feel for what theyâre doing, but said the onus is on Johns Hopkins to play to its strengths.
âWe also know what we have to do,â he said. âWe have to focus and control the things that we can. We have to play Blue Jays lacrosse. Weâve got to get better tomorrow and learn and then continue to strive to be great.â
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