TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University women's lacrosse team fell in overtime to No. 22 Johns Hopkins, 11-10, in its final nonconference game of the season on Wednesday night.  

After ending a high scoring first quarter tied 6-6, the teams stayed close, as the score was not separated by more than two goals for the remaining three quarters of the contest.  

Kerri and Kaitlin Thornton got the team going in the fourth quarter with a pair of scores to take the 10-9 advantage. With 1:06 left in regulation, Hopkins scored to knot the score at 10-all and send the game into overtime. JHU finished it with just under two minutes to go in the first overtime period to come away with the 11-10 win. The close contest featured six total ties.  

Blair Pearre led the way for the Tigers with three goals. The former Under Armour All-American now has 21 career hat tricks and has scored at least two goals in 29 of 34 games at the collegiate level. She also moved up to 14th on the program's top 20 scoring list with 103 career goals.  

Pearre also added eight draw controls, two ground balls and a caused turnover.  

Kerri Thornton had two free position goals, to go a perfect 2-for-2 from the 8-meter, and an assist while Lindsay Clarke also added a score and a helper. Milana Zizakovic, Gabby Garrett, Kaitlin Thornton and Halley Koras all added one goal apiece in the outing.  

The Black & Gold were strong on defense, holding the Blue Jays scoreless for two respective spans of 13:57 and 18:01. The starting defensive unit of Shannon Sullivan, Blair Goodrich, Olivia Malamphy and Erin Williams combined for 10 ground balls and six caused turnovers. Reigning Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Rookie of the Week, Sullivan, led the charge with four ground balls and two turnovers caused.

Records   

• Towson – 4-7 (1-1 CAA)   
• Johns Hopkins (7-6, 0-3 B1G) 

How it Happened   

• Both teams came out hot in the first quarter, scoring six goals apiece. Johns Hopkins struck first, but just 39 seconds later, Pearre answered to tie it up, 1-1.  
• The Blue Jays added a pair of goals to regain the lead before Clarke came around from behind the net to score and cut the deficit, 3-2.  
• Hopkins went on another two-goal spurt before the Black & Gold took over, going on a four-goal run of their own to take the 6-5 edge. Four unique Tigers scored in stretch. JHU added one more goal before the end of the period to tie it up, 6-6.  
• In the second period, Johns Hopkins rallied to hold Towson scoreless while also recording two goals. The opposition took the 8-6 lead into halftime.  
• The Black & Gold ended their drought with a pair of goals to begin the third quarter and knot the score back at 8-all. Pearre and Kerri Thornton both tallied unassisted goals.  
• Hopkins found the back of the net before the end of the third period to take the 9-8 advantage into the final 15 minutes of play.  
• The Thornton sister came up big for the Tigers with goals to start the fourth quarter and put the team back in control, 10-9. With just over a minute to go in the final quarter, Hopkins tied it up once again to send the meeting into overtime.  
• After multiple attempts from both sides in the first four minutes of the first six-minute overtime period, Johns Hopkins scored the golden goal to take the 11-10 overtime victory home.  

Key Stats 

• Carly Merlo had nine saves in net, her second-highest total this season. She set her career high of 16 stops against Georgetown earlier this campaign (March 26).  
• Both teams were perfect on clears as Towson went 17-17. The performance marks the team's fourth perfect outing of the season. The team is now 174-196 (88.8%) on the season. 
• Clarke and Kerri Thornton tallied one assist each to pace the Tigers. Clarke has now recorded helpers in eight consecutive games. She leads the team with 16 total assists.  
• The Tigers won the draw control battle, 16-10. Pearre led the way with eight draws while Kerri Thornton added five.  

Inside the Numbers    

• With eight draw controls on Wednesday, Pearre now has 139 career draw controls to remain seventh in program history. She is now just two behind Stephanie Howell (141). 
• The Thornton sisters had four points today, increasing their combined number to 228 (160 goals, 67 assists). 
• Sullivan (4) and Goodrich (3) tied their respective career highs in ground balls. Both set their career bests last week.

Next Game

Up next, Towson will get back into CAA play, hosting (RV) Drexel on Saturday, April 9 for Senior Day. The game will be streamed on LSN.