BALTIMORE, Md. — Visiting George Washington University rode a 10-goal first quarter to a 20-14 win over host/Division III No. 8-ranked Johns Hopkins University in Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) action.
GW struck first, with a Mateus Stellet goal just nine seconds in. Sophomore Gavin Brooke answered with the first of his four scores to tie the game. Viktor Jovanic lined in a five-meter goal to spark a six-goal Revolutionaries’ run as George Washington pushed out to a 7-1 lead with 2:33 to play in the quarter.
Freshman Owen Bartlett halted the run with back-to-back goals just 27 seconds apart to make it 7-3. GW answered with a three-goal spurt, sandwiched around a Jason Mihalopoulos‘ strike, and it led 10-4 at the end of one quarter. Freshman Ethan Babel opened the second quarter with a six-on-five goal to make it a five-goal game. The Revolutionaries responded with three in a row to push out to a 13-5 lead at the half.
Brooke opened the third quarter with a five-meter goal, but Peter Durkovic answered less than a minute later and it was 14-6 with 4:32 to go in the quarter. Freshman Alec Baker and Babel sandwiched goals around a strike from Andrija Sekulic and it was 15-8 at the 2:46-mark. Sekulic and Leo Lueddermann then scored back-to-back goals to push the lead back to nine just a minute later.
Baker got one back for the Blue Jays, but a Kalan Smith goal late in the quarter gave GW an 18-9 lead at the break. Bartlett sparked a three-goal run with a six-on-five goal as the Jays cut the lead to six with 5:55 to play. Sekulic answered with a six-on-five goal, but a man-up goal from Brooke made it 19-13 with 4:00 on the clock. Jovanovic pushed the lead back to seven just 31 seconds later. Hopkins got a late goal from senior Seth Berke to account for the 20-14 final.
Brooke led the Blue Jays with four goals and five points. Bartlett added four points (three goals, one assist) and a team-best five drawn ejections. Baker also had a four-point morning (two goals, two assists) while also drawing two ejections and grabbing a steal. Babel chipped in four points (two goals, two assists) along with three drawn ejections. Mihalopoulos also had a multi-point game (one goal, two assists). Graduate student Saahil Naik finished with four saves and two assists in two quarters of action. Freshman Chris Poisler made four saves in two quarters.
Release courtesy Johns Hopkins University Athletics Communications
