The Hopkins men’s soccer team battled two Pennsylvania opponents, — one of which was a Centennial Conference rival — this past week in the heart of a 10-day, four-game game stretch of tough games away from Homewood Field. Seeing a total of only one goal in 200 minutes of play over the two games against Neumann University and in-conference rival Ursinus, the Jays battled for a hard fought win and draw, respectively.
Head coach Craig Appleby’s squad looked to continue its recent success against in-conference opponents Saturday in Collegeville, Pa. against a 4-6-1 Ursinus Bears squad. Both teams, each to their disappointment, battled through 110 minutes of damp, cloudy, cold conditions to a scoreless draw. Nevertheless, this was not the worst thing that could happen to the Jays, who are in the midst of a run of matches against Centennial Conference opponents that could determine whether the team remains in the middle of a tough 10-team race or even gains ground on leaders Franklin & Marshall and Dickinson. The draw put the Blue Jays at 7-3-2 overall, while 2-2-1 in conference.
The match was not without action; Hopkins peppered the Bears goalie, Brian Gately, with 10 shots, compared to the home team’s five. Sophomore Matt Paris held firm between the pipes to the tune of his fifth shutout of the season. Gately’s performance was one of the main obstacles for the Blue Jays, and he was recently named the Centennial Conference Men’s Soccer Defender of the Week for that effort. Senior midfielder Kotaro Mitsuhashi and junior defender Kenny DeStefano contributed a sizable portion to the Blue Jay offensive attack, adding a combined five shots on goal.
Sophomore forward Matt Williams summed up the game perfectly.
“Ursinus was a frustrating game," Williams said. "The team was very compact defensively and we just could not find a way to break them down.”
Three days later, the Blue Jays went back at it, again venturing north into Pennsylvania to face non-conference opponent Neumann University. The Knights were 4-7-1 heading into the match, and Hopkins looked to take advantage of a very winnable game, especially with undefeated rival Franklin & Marshall on the horizon. The Jays executed well, emerging with a 1-0 victory on a warm, yet breezy, evening.
In the 39th minute, DeStefano made a good run on a through ball. Though he missed his first shot, he steadfastly stayed on the ball and put his follow-up chance in the back of the net. The junior also put six shots on goal, with his only one on target being the eventual game winner. Senior keeper Nick Cerrone played the full 90 minutes in goal and finished with two saves, securing the clean sheet. Sophomore Rikuo Nakamoto came off the bench later in the match and had some promising play as well, generating offensive pressure in the second half.
The Blue Jays opened the game by dominating on offense, outshooting the Knights 8-0. Though the home team was finally able to put some shots on goal in the second half, it was too little too late and the Jays were able to take home a victory.
Summarizing both games, Williams stressed that goals were at a premium and that it was important to remain focused.
“The toughest part was not stooping our level of play [to the opponent]," he said. "We were given a lot of space in the back and it was hard to fight the tendency to be complacent and play down to the level of the competition.”
This most recent win puts Hopkins at 8-3-2 on the season. The Blue Jays will take the pitch in a critical away match against Franklin & Marshall on Oct. 18.
