WASHINGTON, Pa. — The Division III No. 4-ranked Johns Hopkins University men’s water polo team split its first two matches at the Washington & Jefferson Invitational. Hopkins opened with a dominating 21-6 win over Penn State Behrend, and then dropped an 11-10 decision in overtime to the University of Toronto.
Hopkins jumped out to a six-goal lead against Penn State Behrend, with goals from five different Blue Jays, in the opening nine minutes. The Lions got on the board at 7:05 in the second to make it a 6-1 game. But an Emerson Sullivan goal sparked a three-goal spurt as Hopkins pushed out to a 9-1 lead with 5:01 to go in the quarter.
Penn State ended the run with a pair of goals just 35 seconds apart to pull within six. Sullivan answered for Hopkins and ignited a 10-goal run that’s saw the Blue Jays’ lead grow to 19-3 by the end of the third. Junior Seth Berke fueled the surge with three of the Jays’ 10 goals. The teams traded goals over the final eight minutes and Hopkins earned the 21-6 win.
The nightcap was a much different affair. Hopkins struck first with an early Jayden Kunwar goal, that was quickly answered by the Varsity Blues. Freshman Dado Soares put the Blue Jays back on top with an ejection goal at 5:15. Kunwar and junior Cameron Burns followed with goals and just like that Hopkins led 4-1.
The teams went back-and-forth in the second quarter and the Blue Jays took a 6-3 lead into the half. It was all Varsity Blues in the third quarter however, as they used a four-goal run to go up 7-6 after three. Sullivan and Soares opened the fourth quarter with back-to-back scores to grab the lead back for Hopkins. But Toronto answered with a pair to go up 9-8 with 3:25 to play. Soares scored his third of the game to tie the game at nine and force overtime.
Toronto jumped out to an 11-9 lead in the overtime before Kunwar scored with 51 ticks left to pull within one. Hopkins could get no closer however and Toronto took the win.
In the history of the Hopkins’ program, Sullivan notched his 200th career point in the win over Penn State Behrend. Further, he moves into 16th place in program history with 163 goals, while Kunwar moves into 13th place with 275 points and Freese is now ranked 21st with 55 career assists.
Release courtesy Johns Hopkins University Athletics Communications
