Queens, NY - For the fourth time in the last five seasons, the John Jay College women's soccer team has captured the CUNYAC Championship.
The Bloodhounds, appearing in their seventh straight finals, defeated the No. 2 seed Lehman College, 4-0, on Varsity Field on the campus of Queens College.
John Jay, the No. 1 seed, will await their next opponent after securing the league's automatic bid on Monday with the 2024 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer selection show
. The Bloodhounds now stand at 10-5-1 overall on the season while the Lightning finish the year at 11-5-0.
Graduate transfer
Olivia Boucher, who netted a hat trick in today's title match, was named CUNYAC's Most Valuable Player.
The Bloodhounds controlled most of the pace in the first and were rewarded in the 23' as Boucher converted off the feed from
Mikayla Schoch.
With just four minutes remaining before halftime, Boucher settled the loose ball and sent the shot into the open net, giving John Jay a 2-0 advantage.
When play resumed for the second half, Boucher wasted little time as Schoch once again spotted Boucher in the middle of the box, with the Sayville, NY native burying the chance for her third goal.
Boucher's hat trick marks the first time a hat trick has been recorded in the championship since 2018, when College of Staten Island's Lauren Smith registered three goals against the Bloodhounds in the championship match.
With time expiring, Schoch, who has scored a goal in each of the Bloodhounds championship matches, finished the match with her fifth goal of the season off the feed from
Lucia Giangaspero.
The Bloodhounds outshot Lehman 35-1 with Lehman's keeper, Katelyn Rice finishing with 14 saves on the day.
