BALTIMORE, Md. – The No. 11 TCNJ women's soccer team fell behind for the first time all season but showed its resolve in rallying for a 1-1 draw in a high-octane showdown at No. 12 Johns Hopkins on Wednesday night.
 
Jenny Ward's first collegiate goal in the 79^th minute rescued the Lions (5-0-1) from their first deficit of the year and served as a fitting equalizer to a hard-fought match between national powers that was filled with chances on both ends.
 
TCNJ skirted disaster in the 7^th minute as Caroline Rebele managed to block a shot from close range off a deflected cross, and Ava Curtis cleared the follow-up off the line with a header.
 
The Lions' best chance of the first half came in the 18^th minute, when Ava Curtis sent a hard, dipping free kick from just outside the right edge of the box. The shot took a bounce and was parried away by the Hopkins keeper, and Victoria D'Imperio's left-footed rebound sailed high.
 
The Blue Jays (2-1-3) broke the ice with just over a minute left in the half off their own set piece, as Ava Venuti headed a long free kick from the left side into the lower right corner of the net.
 
Trailing for the first time all season, the Lions faced a Hopkins onslaught for much of the second half, but Ellen Williams proved up to the task and made five saves to keep the visitors within striking distance. That proved monumental later, when Alyssa Alfano's service took a deflection and fell for Ward, who managed to shuffle it into the back of the net for her first career goal and tie the game at 1-1 with 11:59 remaining.
 
Ward nearly struck again with about 9 minutes to go. Curtis' 40-yard free kick was ticketed for the top of the net, but the Blue Jay keeper knocked it off the bar. Ward nearly punched home the rebound but had her effort blocked away for a corner.
 
The Blue Jays almost took their own lead two minutes later, but Williams reacted nicely to stone a close-range attempt by Carrie McIntire.
 
Both teams continued to press for a winner, and TCNJ almost found a shocker in the closing seconds. Ella Van Dine latched onto a long pass and maneuvered for a shot but was unable to generate enough power and sent a bouncer right at the Hopkins goalie.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Johns Hopkins took 19 shots and put nine of them on frame, while TCNJ wound up with 13 total and seven on goal
• The Blue Jays had an 11-4 advantage in corner kicks
• Olivia Piraino led all players with six shots for JHU, while Van Dine topped TCNJ with three, including two on goal
• Curtis matched Van Dine with two on-target efforts, both on free kicks
• Williams finished with seven saves and Tia Harrison had six for the Blue Jays

NOTES

• Wednesday marked the third draw in as many seasons between the teams; the Lions and Blue Jays played to 2-2 stalemates in 2021 and 2023
• The 2021 meeting featured a No. 1-ranked TCNJ team against No. 2 Johns Hopkins
• The Blue Jays were the first ranked team the Lions have faced, although Washington and Lee – TCNJ's opponent in a 1-0 opening win – is now No. 24 after starting the year unranked
• Alfano was credited with her team-leading fourth assist of the season; she has a helper in all but one of the last five contests
• The Lions received their first two yellow cards of the season, and the game had as many yellows (3) as TCNJ's first five games combined

UP NEXT

• TCNJ remains on the road to take on Stevens on Saturday