Despite three defensive saves by defender Eve Mergenthaler, the Sweet Briar College field hockey team dropped its season opener 7-0 to Johns Hopkins on Friday evening.

The game was played at a neutral site on the campus of Washington & Lee in Lexington, Va.

Sweet Briar goalie Katie Torretti also pitched in with 11 saves in the cage. Hopkins earned head coach Megan Fraser her 200th career victory, with a hat trick coming from sophomore Austin Davis.

Torretti saved Davis on the game's opening penalty corner. On the next corner, Mergenthaler stopped Davis' shot but Hopkins' Leslie MacManus was right at the doorstep to open the scoring.

Torretti followed with another save, this time on Clare Kavanaugh. The Vixens earned three straight penalty corners at the other end, but nothing came of them.

After Danielle Thompson finished off Victoria Piscopo's shot from another corner for a 3-0 Hopkins lead, Mergenthaler prevented further damage with a defensive save to deny Lucy Woodrow. Torretti came charging out late in the first half to deny Davis a scoring chance.

Liz Stillman slid a pass across the goalmouth and Davis tapped it home early in the second half for a 4-0 Blue Jay scoreline. Seconds later, Bridget Hampton redirected a dangerous ball into Kiana Duncan's path but the junior couldn't get a shot off.

Sweet Briar's Molly Van Buren did well to block Duncan's next scoring chance, and Torretti followed with a great diving save after a pass was sent back out to Hampton in the middle of the area.

Davis completed her hat trick in the 47th minute after a nice combination by JHU. The Blue Jays put together some more good play but Torretti came up with a save on Princess Sutherland.

Hopkins went up 6-0 after Torretti stopped a ball with her foot, with Hampton taking it away and slotting it into the cage.

Sweet Briar's forward line had a late flurry, including JHU saves on both Jessica Lusby and Kimberly Orchowski, but the Vixens could not get on the board.

Mergenthaler, among the national leaders in defensive saves last year, recorded another one with under five minutes to go, blocking Piscopo's shot from the right post.

Sweet Briar (0-1) was serving as the home team, but will have its true home opener next Thursday against Ferrum on Thayer Field.