The Hopkins men’s soccer team was in action this past Saturday against the Haverford Fords in Centennial Conference play. The Jays travelled to Pennsylvania with a strong 4-1-1 record ahead of the match and were primed to take on their opponents, who went in with a winning record of 3-2. It was the first game of the conference for both teams, and each headed in with determination to start their conference campaigns with a win.
The game kicked off just after 2 p.m., and the Fords looked aggressive from the onset. Their early focus paid dividends as they took an early lead after just three minutes of play. The goal came off of a well-worked set piece as Haverford midfielder Will Corkery played the free kick into teammate Colin Seitz, who then gifted the ball to Haverford freshman midfielder Russell Nicholson. The young halfback took his chance well with a first-time volley that beat Jay goalkeeper Matt Paris just inside his left post.
“You never want to concede a goal, especially so early in the game, but it came off a set piece," junior defender Kenny DeStefano said. "The ball took a good bounce for the other team, and they were able to capitalize.”
The early goal boosted the Fords' confidence, who were able to double their lead before the halftime whistle. As the game entered the 24th minute of play, Haverford junior Brady Seitz laid a well-weighted pass to teammate Sam Yarosh, who was deemed onside for a clear-cut one-on-one with Paris. The junior forward made no mistake as he saw Paris move to close his angle and placed the ball into the right corner of the net.
The teams departed to their respective locker rooms at halftime, each with a seemingly different game plan for the second half. According to DeStefano, the Jays were positive despite the deficit.
“At halftime, the locker room had a lot of energy considering the score line," DeStefano said. "We have had a successful campaign up to this point in the season, so we did not doubt our ability to change the momentum of the game and make a comeback. Being a conference game [made that] game even more important, and we were going to work hard until the final whistle.”
Indeed, the Jays looked like a different team in the second half as they outshot the home team by a margin of 5-1. The lead was held at 2-0 not for a lack of trying on the part of the Jays, but rather because Haverford’s goalkeeper Chris Gibson came up big to ensure that the Jays would not be allowed back in the game. He edged Paris in saves 5-4 and earned a shutout for his team. The game finished 2-0 as the Jays were handed their second loss in a row. Despite the loss, the team is still looking forward to continuing its conference run, according to DeStefano.
“It wasn't our best game, but we’re still confident moving forward, and we are better prepared to play them if we get another chance in the conference tournament,” DeStefano said. “Hopefully we can get a win for you to write about.”
Hopkins will prepare for its upcoming match against Swarthmore on Saturday. The match is slated to start at 4:30 p.m.
