For Oregon women’s lacrosse (6-7, 0-5 Big Ten), the search for its first conference victory will have to wait at least another five days, as the Ducks trailed wire-to-wire to the No. 9 Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (11-3, 4-2 Big Ten) and lost 21-9. 

After a strong start to the season, Oregon remains without a Big Ten win and now falls below .500 for the first time in the 2026 campaign. Attacker Gabby Santucci’s three goals proved futile, as Hopkins facilitated every facet of the contest, winning the draw control battle 24-6, outshooting the Ducks 36-18 overall and 29-13 on net. 

Bouncing back after two-straight losses, the Blue Jays dictated the opening stretch of the contest, scoring twice in the first two minutes and controlling the possession the entire time. The Ducks had to wait five minutes for their first shot on net, and despite a clean look from Liv Kozitza, Johns Hopkins’ goalie Ashley Langdon saved it with ease. 

She subsequently watched a missile from Lilly Fortin pass by her into the top left corner on the Ducks’ first man-up opportunity of the afternoon.

Fortin stepped into a feed from Anna Simmons and unleashed a shot into the back of the net to get the Ducks on the board. The Blue Jays answered, but Simmons won the next draw control and set up Gabby Santucci’s goal from point blank range. 

Had the Ducks stayed slightly more disciplined defensively, the first could have finished better, but the Blue Jays added three more goals before the opening quarter was over, all coming directly from three Oregon fouls. 

The Blue Jays went 2-2 on free position shots and scored their fifth goal after pulling it back on a free position attempt, making a few passes and converting from short range. Other than those costly fouls, Oregon entered the second down 6-2, but competing more than the score would suggest. 

The Blue Jays cashed in their third shot from the free position just three minutes into the second and to make matters worse, stopped the Ducks wide open free position shot just a minute later. 

As the first half progressed, Oregon controlled the ball much more effectively and found ways to retain possessions long enough to create clear shots on goal. Langdon continued to be a stalwart in net, and her defensive unit stayed solid only allowing six Oregon shots on goal in the first half and 13 throughout the whole game (Langdon saved four).

The Ducks’ veteran defense also consistently shut down Johns Hopkins’ offensive sets, making it tough for the visitors to score from even-strength open play in the opening two quarters. That held until the Blue Jays converted on both a quick fastbreak and a man-up opportunity in the final 45 seconds before the half concluded to make their lead 9-3. 

Before those two goals, Oregon and Hopkins were tied 1-1 in the quarter, but JHU wrenched back the momentum entering halftime. 

Just as it did in the first, Johns Hopkins scored in the first minute of the half to open the third quarter, but this time the Blue Jays added a second after just 30 seconds rather than a full minute. The second half started to spiral out of control quickly for the Ducks, and JHU added three goals in total before Santucci responded with Oregon’s first goal of the back half of the game. 

The Ducks’ offense, often spurred by adept playmaking by the midfielders, lost a great deal of energy, especially as Johns Hopkins’ repeated long possessions forced the midfield to defend for prolonged stretches. 

The defense still managed to create clears and turnovers, but the Blue Jays’ slow play left Oregon with few opportunities to score in the third. Goals from Lilly Fortin and Lyla Hurley softened the blow, but the Ducks struggled to stop JHU from adding seven to its tally before the final frame. 

As the Blue Jays raced out to another quick start, Drummond called a timeout and collected her team in a huddle. They came together and cheered, hoping to spur a late rally, but Hopkins’ quality shone through even more in the late stages of the contest and the visitors tacked on five goals in the fourth to make their lead even more unreachable. 

Oregon takes a long trip east this week to take on No. 21 Penn State in University Park, PA, on Thursday, and it will face off at 5:00 p.m. PST.