EMMITSBURG, Md. — Johns Hopkins University split a pair of matches with 16-10 scores against Mercyhurst University and host Mount St. Mary’s University. The Blue Jays opened the day with a win over the Lakers, but then lost to the host Mountaineers. Hopkins is now 8-13 overall and 2-4 in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference.
Hopkins jumped out to a 4-1 lead after the first quarter versus Mercyhurst and pushed its lead to 10-4 at the half. The Lakers battled back in the third quarter to make the score 12-9 heading into the fourth quarter. The Blue Jays bookended the game with a 4-1 fourth quarter to take a six-goal win versus the Lakers.
Freshman Andrew Lee led Hopkins with three goals, four points and four drawn ejections. Junior Daniel Palfi scored twice and assisted on two more. Senior Ian Raley (two goals, one assist) and sophomores Alec Baker (two goals, one assist) and Owen Bartlett (one goal, two assists) all had three-point outings. Sophomore Chris Poisler made nine saves and grabbed a steal in the win.
Hopkins then took on host Mount St. Mary’s just a few hours later. The teams traded goals in the first quarter and it was 2-2 after eight minutes. Alexandros Bellesis sparked a three-goal run for the Mount as they pushed out to a 5-2 lead. Freshman Phillip Long halted the run with a goal at the 3:58 mark, but an Ayden Hess six-on-five score ignited a four-goal run that saw Mount St. Mary’s go up 9-3 with 3:32 left in the third quarter.
Raley, sophomore Ethan Babel and junior Jason Mihalopoulos scored three in a row to cut the deficit to three early in the fourth. The Mount responded with a 6-1 run that saw their lead grow to 15-7 at the 2:59-mark. Senior Chris Lo sandwiched a pair of goals around a Bryce Broadway score and it was 16-9 just 49 seconds later. The score would stay that way for nearly two minutes until a late Raley five-meter goal accounted for the 16-10 final.
Raley led the Blue Jays with a hat trick, while Babel handed out a team-best three assists to go with a score. Lo and Baker had two goals each and Lee led JHU with five drawn ejections and two steals. Senior Kyle Pearson made nine saves and had six steals in the cage.
Release courtesy Johns Hopkins University Athletics Communications
