The Jays kicked off their school vacation by heading up north for their first out of state game. Unable to find success against their long time rival in the Carrier Dome, Hopkins fell to Syracuse, 13-8. However after a week of practice, the Jays would end their break on a high note, powering through Virginia, 15-8 this past Saturday.
After last year's storied 11-7 win over Syracuse at Homewood, the Jays hit the road this time to play the Orangemen in the Dome. With a competitive record between the two teams, the Jays had the slight overall advantage, earning 27 wins to 'Cuse's 22 victories.
Less than five minutes into the game, Hopkins grabbed the early lead off of an extra man goal from freshman Holden Cattoni, assisted by powerhouse sophomore Wells Stanwick. Hopkins had no time to relish the lead as Syracuse's Luke Cometti answered with an assisted goal only minutes later. The Orangemen response would kick start a six-goal run that consumed the rest of the first quarter.
Coming out of the first, Hopkins made the game competitive, shrinking the deficit to a two goal gap at the half. Stanwick initiated second quarter scoring, securing the man-up goal off of senior midfielder John Greeley's assist. From there, the two lacrosse juggernauts would swap goals with Stanwick leading the Jays effort, leaving the scoreboard at 8-6 at halftime. Stanwick notched a hat trick during the second quarter, in addition to the assist he snagged off of the opening whistle. Despite the overall result of the game, this accomplishment is becoming habit for the spark plug sophomore.
Freshman Ryan Brown, a name not unknown to the scorebook, scored unassisted on the Hopkins extra man opportunity to start the second half. However, the 8-7 peg was the closest the Jays would get to the Orangemen all game. A relatively dry second half yielded only seven total goals, five of which would end up in the back of Hopkins's net.
Voicing his upset, senior defenseman Tucker Durkin commented on the loss, citing a lackluster performance.
“We definitely didn't play as well as we would have liked … We didn't have a whole lot of energy, just from the start we were a little tight,” Durkin said.
Like any loss, the Jays learned from their shortcomings in order to begin the preparation process for their game a week later against Virginia. Senior goalie Pierce Bassett, who tallied 11 saves that game, noted the importance of practice when it comes to earning the win.
“To win, you have to have a great week of practice. It gives you a chance to put yourself in a good position come game day,” Bassett said. “We did a good job this past week of really getting focused during the week, working hard—sometimes it was sloppy but we were focused and motivated.”
True to Bassett's word, the Jays came out flying against 14th ranked Virginia. Junior Brandon Benn put the Jays on the scoreboard first, off of Stanwick's stick. Senior Mike Poppleton then fired one in only seconds later to give the Jays the initial lead. Soon thereafter, Virginia's Mark Cockerton slid one past Bassett. However, the Cavaliers wouldn't see the back of the net again for more than half an hour, as the Jays went on an impressive nine goal streak, spanning three quarters.
Fueling the offensive run was a tight, well-coordinated defense, anchored by Bassett in goal.
“One of the things we talked about last week was getting defensive stops,” Bassett said. “It's a huge thing for your offense because they get more touches, they get the ball more … and they did a great job putting it into the back of the net.”
Bassett notched 16 saves for the game, an accomplishment that ties his career second all time high.
“Defense was a big reason why I had those saves. [Hopkins defenders] were forcing their weak hands, giving me good shots to save.”
Also crucial to the defensive effort, Durkin characterized Hopkins defense as a fluid and cohesive effort.
“It's never about one guy on defense, it's never about two guys, it's never about three. It's about six guys and a goalie working together as a unit,” Durkin said. “When we're successful, … it's a product of everyone working well together and everyone being on the same page.”
Nick O'Reilly of Virginia would snap the Hopkins scoring run deep in the third quarter, eluding the stingy Hopkins defense unassisted. Mark Cockerton proceeded to crank up a hat trick in the third quarter, bringing the game to 12-5 by the end of the period. Moving into the last quarter, Hopkins' Ryan Brown would open up the fourth with the man up goal. The freshman contributed another goal to the Jays' overall tally later that period. After swapping goals, the seven goal deficit would stand at the end of the match, with Hopkins defeating Virginia 15-8.
The Jays return to the pitch this weekend as the travel down South to face off against North Carolina. The Tar Heels recently upset number one ranked Maryland in a shocking 10-8 result.
“They're a pretty special team, especially their offense,” Durkin said, commenting on the upcoming match up this weekend. “ … they definitely have the best dodging attack in the entire country … they're very speedy, they're very quick, so we're gonna have to be on our toes all 60 minutes, working together.”
“We're going to have another great week of practices, it's our number one priority right now,” Bassett said, highlighting the importance of the pregame build up. “ … Another road trip, that's what we want to be good at this year, winning on the road. They're going to be a tough test."
ESPNU will cover the much anticipated game this Saturday, with face off scheduled for noon.
