Despite going 1-3 at Claremont, CA Convergence over the weekend, the Hopkins water polo team could hardly call their west coast swing a poor showing considering they played four of the top-five ranked teams in the nation.
Despite the top competition, the Blue Jays managed to take down number-one nationally ranked Pomona-Pitzer and maintain their winning record at 10-8 for the season.
The Jays got through the weekend with tough losses to fourth-ranked Cal-Lutheran, fifth-ranked Redlands, and third-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. However, sandwiched in was the win over Pomona-Pitzer, their first against the Sagehens since 2008.
Over those four games, one bright spot was the play of junior Ross Schofield who once again showed off his offensive prowess as an integral utility player for head Coach Ted Bresnahan.
Schofield immediately got off to a hot start, opening his weekend with two goals against Cal-Lutheran. Following the opener, the junior continued his hot streak with a hat trick against Pomona-Pitzer, another against Redlands and two more goals vs. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Overall, Schofield scored 10 goals on 30 shots to lead the Blue Jays to a strong showing against the top teams in the nation. For the season, the junior has amassed a total of 44 goals, tops on the team and 27 assists.
Furthermore, his 71 points adds to an already strong career in his two-plus years at Hopkins. Schofield currently sits 12th on the all-time goals list with 136, third in assists with 70 and third in steals with 112.
The junior utilityman is no newcomer to doing well in the pool. As a freshman, Schofield immediately saw playing time and was able to contribute to a strong 17-17 Hopkins team in 2009.
The next year, as a sophomore, Schofield brought his play to a level few have seen in all of Hopkins history. In 33 games, he scored an astounding 67 goals, tenth most all-time for a single season.
So it comes as no surprise that as a junior, Schofield is well on his way to another tremendous season. He currently leads the team in goals, points and shots, all while excelling on the defensive side of the ball as well. At his current pace, Schofield has a chance to crack the top five in all-time goals and improve on his third all-time ranking in assists and steals.
As a team, Hopkins hopes to regain their winning ways this week as they take on Bucknell and Princeton before the Eastern DIII Championships in Erie, PA.
Be sure to keep an eye on Schofield and the Blue Jays men's water polo team as their season heads for the home stretch.
