The Hopkins men’s lacrosse team faltered in its first Conference matchup of the season this past Saturday, losing 16-9 to a tough Rutgers University team.
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights have not won a game against an opponent as highly ranked as the Jays (No. 9) since they beat No. 4 Syracuse in 2004. This victory also marks their first win against the Jays since 1990.
The Knights got off to an early lead, striking quickly in the first quarter with senior attackman Ryan Hollingsworth beating Blue Jay sophomore goalie Brock Turnbaugh for the first goal of the game. Hollingsworth finished with three goals, doubling his total for the season. The Hollingsworth family has a history of tormenting the Jays since Ryan’s father, MG, was on the field when the Knights last beat the Jays.
The Knights’ leading scorer, redshirt freshman attackman Adam Charalambides, scored four goals, adding to his team-best season tally of 29 goals.
The Jays, on the other hand, had uncharacteristic trouble finding the back of the net. Senior Ryan Brown lead the Jays with four goals, with sophomore Shack Stanwick and junior Wilkins Dismuke, both fellow attackmen, each tacking on one and junior midfielder John Crawley adding two.
The game remained close through the third quarter, until the Knights scored five unanswered goals from the end of the third quarter into the fourth.
The Knights also capitalized on man-up opportunities, scoring on three of four chances, while the Jays were held scoreless in similar situations.
By the middle of the fourth quarter, the game became a one-sided affair, as the end result was the greatest margin of defeat that the Jays have faced all year. The Knights, for their upset victory, were rewarded the No. 19 rank by Inside Lacrosse, their highest ranking all year.
Hopkins senior captain Derrick Kihembo says that the team is looking forward from this loss toward the rest of the season.
“We just keep focused on coming ready to practice every day with the intent on getting better,” Kihembo said. “It’s a long season, and every week we have to grow as a team, no matter what the previous outcome may have been.”
The Jays find themselves in a position similar to that of last year’s early campaign. Through nine games last season, the Jays had already lost five games — not the start that anyone was anticipating from such a talented team.
The Jays rebounded, however, and finished the season with an 11-7 record, losing by one goal to Maryland in the NCAA tournament semifinal game.
This team has a lot of new faces, and guys from last year have taken on some new roles,” Kihembo said. “Every year’s team is different, and we plan to write our own unique story.”
The Jays will look to regroup this week against the Ohio State University Buckeyes at the Hopkins annual Homecoming game. The Buckeyes are coming into the game on a five-game losing streak and a 1-3 road record this season. They tested first-ranked Notre Dame, though, in a close 9-8 loss.
Following the loss to Rutgers, the Jays dropped to No. 16 in the D-1 Inside Lacrosse rankings. Saturday is Homecoming for the Jays, and they will look to get their first conference win of the season. Kihembo and the rest of the team plan to not approach their Homecoming game in a different way than a normal conference game. “Every game is a must win for us,” the senior said.
Faceoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Homewood Field.
