Levering OT Goal Clips Blue Jays

EWING – Christine Levering had been here before. Three times in five years, in fact.

Overtime against an undefeated and nationally ranked Johns Hopkins team hardly seemed to phase The College of New Jersey’s redshirt senior.

Five years ago, as a true freshman, maybe. But even then, not really.

For the second time in her career, Levering scored a sudden-victory goal to send the Blue Jays home from Lions’ Stadium with a broken wing, 1-0.

This time, Levering pounded in a nifty service from Allie DeRiggi after a botched clearance attempt with 6:15 left to play in the first of two potential extra periods.

“Johns Hopkins is a great team,” said Levering, who as a true freshman scored just 13 seconds into the second extra frame against Hopkins to give the Lions a 2-1 win. “Every year we come out it’s just one of those games you just know it comes down to who wants it more, I guess.”

The win moved TCNJ (5^th in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Poll) to 4-0, but more importantly gave the team its second win against a ranked opponent this season. Hopkins was ranked 9^th in that same poll heading into the game, and Arcadia was 20^th before TCNJ’s 3-0 win earlier this month.

No team on the Lions’ remaining schedule is currently ranked.

“They’re just always a good fight,” Levering added. “We know coming in it’s going to be a hard physical fight. Every year it’s always a tough one.”

The game remained scoreless in regulation largely thanks to the play of Hopkins’ goalie Bess Kitzmiller’s seven saves. She had to leave her feet several times to keep the sheet clean through 90 minutes, and had quick hands on another potential scoring play off a header.

Elizabeth Thoresen wasted the best scoring opportunity of regulation in the 52^nd minute, making a 40-yard run and finding herself uncontested inside the 18-yard box. Her right footed shot sailed well high and over the goal, leaving Kitzmiller breathing a huge sigh of relief.

Hannah Richman had a nearly identical run with 25 minutes to play in the second half, but her left-footed blast went off Kitzmiller’s hands, who then dove on top of it to keep the match scoreless.

“I thought we were exceptional in the back,” said TCNJ head coach Joe Russo. “I thought the difference between the first half to the second half was, we told them at halftime to just catch their breath. We played the game and it was so frenetic like 900 miles an hour. We settled down and were able spray the balls wide. The way that we play and the system they play the space was in the wide areas.”

But Russo, now in his 28^th season at the helm for the Lions, knows not to dwell too much on big wins or tough losses this early in the season.

“No we have already dismissed it,” Russo said when asked if this win felt bigger than others. “We have to go to Paterson on Saturday and get three points. There can’t be any bit of a hangover from what has taken place tonight to what happens on Saturday. We need to go there and get three points. This is over and done with.”