The Hopkins men’s soccer team faced off against the Muhlenberg Mules this past Saturday in Allentown, Pa. The Blue Jays were sitting on a 5-6-2 record (2-2-1 Centennial Conference), while the Mules were sporting a 7-5-1 (2-2-1 Centennial Conference). Despite being the underdog heading into the conference rivalry matchup, the Jays were victorious, sending the Mules to a 3-1 defeat, extending their unbeaten streak to five games in a row.
Just 13 minutes into the game, junior midfielder Rob Heuler took a blast from outside the 18-yard box that deflected off of a Muhlenberg defender and curved into the net to give Hopkins an early 1-0 lead.
However, it only took the Mules 20 minutes to get the equalizer.
Jacob Joseph took a pass from teammate Brendan McIntyre and scored from a tight angle past freshman goalkeeper Matt Paris just inside the far post.
In the 41st minute, freshman midfielder Samy Ramadane regained the lead for Hopkins when he dribbled the ball along the end line, made a quick cut and slipped a shot under the diving Muhlenberg goalie to put the score at 2-1 in Hopkins’ favor. The strike marked Ramadane’s third goal of the season.
The second half score stayed at 2-1 until the 64th minute when Ramadane scored his second goal of the game, giving Hopkins a 3-1 lead. Ramadane's second goal was nearly identical to his first, as he dribbled along the end line and lofted a shot above the Mules’ goalie for his career best second of the game.
As a freshman player, Ramadane has embraced his role as a key piece of the Blue Jays offense. With four goals and nine points, Ramadane leads the team in both goals and points.
For his two goal game, Ramadane was also named the Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week, joining junior goaltender Nick Cerrone as the only Blue Jays to earn CC Player of the Week honors.
The Hopkins’ defense stayed very strong in the late minutes of the game, as sophomore defender Kevin Caskey made a team save in the 78th minute, while Paris contributed an important save in the 83rd minute.
Hopkins outshot Muhlenberg in the game 11-9, while keeper Paris recorded one save and the win. Hopkins is now .500 at 6-6-2 on the year with a 3-2-1 conference record. The Jays will return to action on Wednesday, Oct. 23, as they take on the McDaniel Green Terror at Homewood Field.
