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March 24, 2004 | Stats

Senior Tara Michael tallied one goal, two assists, seven caused turnovers and 10 ground balls in a 13-7 loss to No. 12 Johns Hopkins University on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON — The American University women's lacrosse team threatened to snap 12th-ranked Johns Hopkins' undefeated season for much of the game Wednesday, but the Blue Jays finally broke open the game late in the second period with a 3-0 run in a 13-7 victory.

American trailed by just two, 6-4, late in the first period, after senior Lynn Brandon (Exton, Pa./Henderson) tallied one of her two goals in the game. However, JHU scored three of four goals to close out the half, including one by Heidi Pearce with just 18 seconds left in the half, to pull ahead 9-5 going into the locker room. Pearce's goal was her third of the game, to which she added three assists for a game-high six points.

AU sophomore goaltender Kathleen Finnegan (Arnold, Md./St. Mary's) helped the Eagles stay within striking distance with nine first-half saves. Finnegan finished with 13 saves.

Neither team scored for more than 10 minutes to begin the second stanza, with AU's defense fending off several Blue Jay attacks. Senior Tara Michael (Owings, Md./South River) led the AU defense, ending the game with an astounding seven caused turnovers and 10 ground balls, in addition to a goal and two assists for a team-high three points.

The Blue Jays' Meagan Voight broke the scoreless drought and gave the hosts a five-goal lead with 19:22 remaining when she scored off a feed from Erin Riordan. AU would not go quietly, as junior Rebecca Copeland (Webster, N.Y./Webster) tallied her second goal of the game and team-leading 20th goal of the season with 13:09 left to pull the Eagles within four. However, JHU recorded the game's next three goals to give the Blue Jays an insurmountable 13-6 lead. A late goal by senior Nicole McCarthy (Flourtown, Pa./Springfield) wasn't enough for the Eagles.

American, which falls to 3-4 overall, returns to action this Saturday, March 27, when it hosts Patriot League foe Lafayette beginning at 1 p.m on Reeves Field. The Eagles, who are 2-0 in the PL, will look to extend their half-game lead over Colgate in the league standings.