By SHANE COUGHLIN Senior Staff Writer
The Hopkins men’s soccer team sits at third place in the Centennial Conference after the Blue Jays took down the visiting Grizzly Bears of Ursinus College 3-2 this past weekend.
Junior midfielder Samy Ramadane accounted for all three of Hopkins’ points with a pair of goals and an assist while junior goalkeeper Bryan See secured his seventh win, stifling the opposing attack with two saves including a tremendous one-handed highlight.
“Samy has been a big part of our recent success scoring four goals in the last three games, including two game winners,” senior defender Eric Buck said.
“We went into Saturday knowing we had a tough match ahead of us,” Ramadane, who recorded his second career multi-goal game, said. “It was important for us to impose our style on the game, and we did so from the start, allowing ourselves to create numerous opportunities. The goals were great team efforts, and I was lucky to get on the back end of two of them.”
Sophomore defender Jonah Muniz also had a huge game that started only two minutes into the contest when he took a pass from senior Kenny DeStefano and set up Ramadane for his first goal and the first point of the contest.
“When Kenny took it down with his chest and hit it back to me, I saw Samy making a run in between the center and left back,” Muniz said. “I passed it into space knowing his speed could get him to the ball.”
With Hopkins ahead early, Ursinus applied some offensive pressure including a 12th-minute threat that was thwarted by senior defender Eric Buck. Ryan Butler, the senior Ursinus attacker, returned three minutes later, however, and was able to convert on a penalty kick for the equalizer.
To take the lead, Muniz and Ramadane returned to the box score, this time swapping roles. Ramadane dribbled deep into the box before passing across the face of the goal where Muniz was able to punch in the tie-breaking score and his first goal of the season.
On his big day, Ramadane was able to tack onto the Hopkins lead with his second goal and third point of the day in the 30th minute, dribbling across the top of the box past a defender before slotting the ball through the bottom-left corner past the goalie for the unassisted score.
Shortly after the lead was extended, See made his highlight save in the 34th minute, leaping and punching a shot by Ursinus freshman Ben Amaral out of harm’s way with one hand.
This save would prove crucial after Ursinus’s junior midfielder Justin Mendez was able to inch his team closer to victory with a long goal to open the second half.
But with See able to hold off the attack, Ramadane’s second goal proved to be the game-winner with a final header attempt from Butler stopped by Muniz.
The game came to a close at 3-2, giving Hopkins its 20th straight victory against the Bears.
“Overall it was a great win to pick up. Any win in conference is big and it was a great team performance. To be able to put away three goals is something we have only done one other time this season,” Muniz said.
The win was the result of a great team effort.
“It was great to get a win against an Ursinus team that’s taken six opponents to overtime this year. We’ve had some really good moments this year and gotten key goals from different guys,” Buck said.
Up next for Hopkins is an exciting conference matchup against the top-ranked and undefeated Franklin and Marshall Diplomats this Saturday at 1 p.m.
This game has heavy implications about the postseason seedings going down to the season’s final stretch.
