After what was arguably one of their worst starts to open the season, the Hopkins water polo team started to see a change in momentum as Conference play began this weekend. The loss of their first seven games, while disheartening, is an ill-portrayal of the Blue Jays’ capabilities and not indicative of the future of their 2016 season.
The Jays began the season facing seven teams all ranked among the top 15 in the country among both D-I and D-III schools. Additionally, three of these teams are ranked in the top four of the NCAA, including umber one ranked University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). All-American goalie, John Wilson, who was named the Conference Defensive Player of the Week, explained that the tough start this season was indeed a learning experience for the Jays.
“After losing so many core contributors from last season, we had a tough time facing such a rigorous opening schedule,” Wilson said. “It was definitely challenging but also a good building opportunity for such a young team.”
Things started to turn around this weekend for the Jays, who had an encouraging start to in-Conference play. The tournament kicked off on Friday with the inaugural game of the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Association, in which the Jays faced off against long-time rival, the Naval Academy Mids. Fans packed the Newton White Aquatic Center and even stirred up a little out of the pool action as Hopkins claimed a decisive 14-8 victory against Navy for their first win of the season.
The Jays were the first on the board, starting the first quarter with a strong 4-1 lead. They continued to ride the momentum to the end of the first half, leading the Mids 9-5. Wilson, who would make a total of 16 saves over the course of the game, mentioned that the University’s defense would be key if they were to beat Navy.
“Navy is always a physical opponent, so we had to focus on handling that intensity on the defensive end,” Wilson said. “Our mental focus and patience during the game is what gave us our edge.”
Navy would open the second half with a goal, but Hopkins responded by scoring the next four goals within a span of 2:27 to go up 13-6. Freshman driver Carter Young had the first goal of the second half to begin the Jay’s four goal series.
Sophomore Josh Kurtz would then score back-to-back goals, topped off by a goal from senior utility Matt Fraser. Hopkins would defeat Navy 14-8 and claim their fifth straight win against the Mids at home.
Offensively, the Jays were clearly the dominant force in the water. Wilson explained that the team’s focus in the match against Navy is what contributed to their better shots.
“We were able to get better looks later in the possession, instead of taking hasty shots,” he said. “As a result, we were able to control the tempo of the game, and ended up with 6 different players to combine for 14 goals.”
The Jays received a number of standout performances from their young players. Kurtz and fellow sophomore Andreas Katsis would lead the field in scoring, both setting career-highs with four goals each in the match.
Sophomore Giorgio Cico also contributed five goals through the night with a pair of his own goals and team-high of three assists.
Friday’s success against Navy continued into the next morning as the Jays faced off against the Wagner College Seahawks. Although the game remained tied 7-7 into the third quarter, the Jays fired off a series of six straight goals to put them up 13-7 and would finish the match by overwhelming the Seahawks 18-10.
However, the Jays perfect Conference record would only last a couple of hours as they fell to the Fordham Rams later that afternoon. The game remained incredibly close for the entire duration. The teams were tied 4-4 at the half and the Jays’ biggest deficit sat at only two goals the entire afternoon. Still, it was the Rams who walked away victorious to end the Blue Jays’ six game winning streak in the series.
To end the weekend, Hopkins faced #13 ranked Bucknell, who they would lose to in a tough 12-11 defeat. As a result the Jays finished the weekend 2-2 for their first conference tournament and are currently in a three-way tie for second in the MAWPC.
Next, men’s polo will head to the Bronx for a double header against two New York teams: the Fordham Rams and the Wagner Seahawks, both in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference. The first match against the Rams is set for 12 p.m. this Saturday and the second will be held at 5 p.m. the same day against the Seahawks.
