WASHINGTON, D.C./ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Division III No. 5-ranked Johns Hopkins University water polo team closed out the regular season with Mid-Atlantic water Polo Conference (MAWPC)-East Region losses at George Washington University, 11-6, and the No. 19-ranked United States Naval Academy, 18-5.
At George Washington, Hopkins jumped out to a 3-1 lead on goals from graduate student Olin Shipstead, junior Chris Freese and sophomore Seth Berke. Andras Levai pulled GW even with back-to-back goals in the final 1:47 of the first quarter.
Sophomore Paul Gensbigler scored just after the expiration of a man-up to put the Blue Jays back up 4-3. But the Colonials came right back with a goal from DJ Davis to tie the game.
GW got goals from Nick Schroeder and Henry Maas to go up 6-4 with 2:56 to play in the third. Senior Jayden Kunwar scored with just 29 ticks on the clock to pull Hopkins back within one. The Colonials opened the fourth with four unanswered goals to push out to a 10-5 lead. Gensbigler ended the run with his second of the day on a man-up at 3:52. That’s as close as the Blue Jays would get, however, as the Colonials would get one more in the final two minutes.
In the late game, Navy struck first, scoring just 87 seconds in, but Hopkins responded with goals from Freese and Berke to take a 2-1 lead.
The Mids came right back with a three-goal run as they took a 5-2 lead into the second. It was all Navy in the second quarter as the home team erupted for five unanswered in the stanza to take a 12-2 lead at the half.
The third quarter was a different story as two quick goals from Freese and Kunwar cut the deficit to eight. Henry Williams got one back for the Mids, but it was answered by a strike from freshman Ian Raley and Navy led 13-5. Navy turned the tables again in the fourth, putting the game away with a 5-0 final quarter to win 18-5
Gensbigler led the Blue Jays with two goal against the Colonials, while Freese had a pair versus the Mids.
Freshman Kyle Pearson finished with 11 saves against George Washington.
Release courtesy Johns Hopkins University Athletics Communications
