Over the weekend, the Hopkins men's soccer team maintained their undefeated record as they shot past McDaniel (8-2) and Muhlenberg (2-1). Though the Blue Jays flew to Westminister, Md. and Allentown, Penn. to take on their opponents, the foreign territory wasn't enough to terrify the team.
The Jays swept a quick success over McDaniel on Friday. The first half started off with a kick as freshmen forwards David Drake and Scott Bukoski tallied up two points for the Jays in the first 11 minutes of the game. Unfortunately, the Green Terror was able to slip one in the Blue Jay nest, making the score 2-1, but junior midfielder Nick Gauna, however, just wouldn't have any of it. He answered with his seventh goal of the season, pushing past McDaniel senior goalie Christian Maisel.
The Jays got the second half going with even more gusto. Six more goals from the Blue Jays shadowed the second point McDaniel managed to get past Hopkins' defense.
From senior Ben McAbee to freshman Brian Esoda, the game against McDaniel really highlighted the team's depth. Filling the age gap were sophomores Max Venker and Evan Giles, plus the recovered junior Ethan Mulligan.
The six-goal lead tied the record for the largest margin in Hopkins men's soccer history with a 6-0 win from 2003. However the Jays had little time to enjoy the luxuries of slanted scoreboards as they entered into a tight match against Muhlenberg on Saturday.
The Mules had a home-field advantage and a crowd rowdier than the Jays were used to. However the team was able to stay composed despite the discourtesies launched from the stands.
"Our team showed great character coming from behind in front of a hostile crowd to pull out the victory," sophomore goalie Matt Mierley said.
Even sophomore midfielder Rami Zeidan, a major threat in the eyes of the Muhlenberg fan base, showed no fear during the game.
Unfortunately the flight of the Blue Jays started off in a downward direction as the Mules scored the first goal in the 17th minute. This is the first time in the season Hopkins hasn't hit the scoreboard first.
"It was a wake-up call," sophomore defender Nathan Wysk said. "After that, though, the team responded maturely."
The maturity of upperclassmen defenders senior Matty Carlson and junior Ethan Mulligan were part of this response, and the men were able to hold off an aggressive Muhlenberg for the rest of the game.
Along with the defenders, "We had several key players step up and make some big plays," Mierley said.
This included a goal from junior midfielder Akash Naik, who slipped the ball by Muhlenberg goalie Peter Bennett off a pass from senior forward Mo Hamzeh.
"The first goal was awesome. It was a mixture of hardwork on Mo's part and a strong finish by Akash," Wysk said.
Still carrying his fire from Friday, Bukowski tallied his 12th goal of the season, securing the Jays' final point in the start of the second half. From then on, both teams played ferociously; however, Hopkins' defense again proved even too stubborn for the Mules, who just couldn't break the Jay barrier to tie the score.
Sophomore defender Tommy McQueen's performance on the field was inspiring to both fans and teammates, as McAbee recounted:
"Picture this: Last 10 minutes, their fans getting nervous, both teams a little panicky, and all of the sudden, a banger from the top of the 18 ... Tom dives, heads it out ... crowd goes wild. We dodged a bullet. Tom came out huge."
McQueen's header stopped a crucial Muhlenberg shot, holding the delicate one point lead for a Blue Jay victory.
The Muhlenberg victory was huge for Hopkins, who hasn't won at Muhlenberg since a 2-0 win in 2001. As of right now, the men are undefeated with an 11-0 record.
Hopkins plans on going for their twelfth straight win as they take on Dickinson at Homewood Field this Saturday at 4 p.m.
