Despite the threat of floods, strong winds and pouring rain, the Johns Hopkins Men's Water Polo team traveled to Navy to face tough competition, Princeton and Bucknell.
The Blue Jays were coming off disappointing performances against Navy and University of California, Santa Cruz, and they hoped to bounce back against the highly-ranked Tigers as well as against the formidable Bison.
After falling to a heavily favored Princeton squad, the Jays rebounded against Bucknell and cruised to an easy 9-3 victory.
"We were very pleased with our performance in beating our rival Bucknell," said freshman driver Ryan McCormack.
The Jays were overmatched against Princeton, which is currently ranked No.2 in the Men's CWPA Top 10 Poll and No.13 in the Men's National Collegiate Top 20 Poll.
Although this Princeton loss dropped Hopkins to 4-6 on the season, the Blue Jays remained confident that they could end their weekend on a high note against Bucknell. The Bison, who were ranked No. 9 in the CWPA Top 10 Poll coming into the game, were simply overpowered by the Blue Jay offense.
Although the Jays were slightly favored - Hopkins was ranked No.7 coming in - they did not take the game lightly, keeping up a high level intensity throughout.
The Blue Jay offense got off to a slow start, scoring only one goal through one quarter, but their defense enabled them to maintain a slim 1-0 lead. However, the Jays' offense found its groove in the second quarter, finding the net three more times and building a 4-2 lead heading into halftime.
Hopkins picked up right where it left off from the outset of the third quarter, pulling away from the Bison for good. The Blue Jays were able to score five more times in the third and fourth quarters, bringing the final tally to 9-3.
The Blue Jays hope to use this momentum this Friday as they will battle Princeton again in Providence, RI. Hopkins will look to avenge the unsettling 16-8 loss to the Tigers while making headway in the rankings at the same time.
"We have been working really hard on our defense," said McCormack. "We are looking a lot better than last week."
Earlier in the week, the Blue Jays faced the Navy Midshipmen at home. Navy was able to jump out to a quick lead and never looked back, as they led 4-2 after the first quarter and 10-4 going into halftime.
Navy remained relentless in the second half, scoring seven more times before the final buzzer sounded. Despite the loss, Hopkins had several bright spots. Junior driver Dan Stillman scored three goals for the Jays and consistent senior goalie Craig Smith had another impressive outing, making 11 field saves.
On Wednesday, Sept. 17th, at the Naval Academy, the Blue Jays faced No.5 UCSC (University of California, Santa Cruz).
Though Hopkins was able to strike first and hold an early lead, UCSC took advantage of an overwhelming second-quarter surge in which they outscored the Blue Jays 5-1, taking control of the momentum and the game for good.
Junior driver Brian Mead scored three goals in the losing effort.
With a record of sub .500 record of 5-6, some may question the chemistry and confidence of the team at this point in the season.
However, according to McCormack, they are just getting the hang of things.
"We are definitely progressing; we are finally getting on the same page," he said. "The offense and the defense are coming together."
