The Hopkins water polo team has had more success than most programs this season. However, like many other good programs, there will always be tough stretches during the course of a long season. Over the weekend, the Jays faced off against two marquee programs: 12th ranked Princeton as well as Bucknell. Game one was against the Tigers from Princeton, and from the start of the first whistle the Tigers were in control. At the conclusion of the first quarter, the clubs were knotted in a tight match, with Princeton leading 3-1.
That lead grew substantially for the Tigers during the second quarter, as Princeton held a 7-3 lead over the Jays heading into halftime. The second half did not amount to much success for the Jays unfortunately. With the lead at four, Princeton continued to take command throughout the second half. After outscoring their the Jays 4-2 in the second half, Princeton marched to victory by a final score of 11-5. Stephen Kingery and Matt Fraser led the scoring brigade for the Jays, with each tallying two goals apiece.
Sophomore Goalie Erik Henrikson manned the cage for the Jays against the Tigers, chipping in on the effort with six saves. After the match, Henrikson shared his thoughts on the game, and on what he thinks the team can do to improve going forward. “Well, I was a little disappointed with our performance this weekend. We played two really solid teams, so I think we should have brought a more intense game,” Henrikson said. “I think we have to do a better job of shutting down their center players, especially for teams like that who have big guys scoring a lot and drawing ejections from the center. We also didn’t do as well of a job capitalizing on man-up opportunities. But it’s back to the workshop this week.”
A tough match against a top-tier team will only help the team grow and improve upon their mistakes.
Although the Tigers provided a tough match for the Jays, a short memory was necessary, as the Bison of Bucknell University were slated next for Hopkins. Unfortunately it was the Bison that proved too much for the Jays by establishing an early lead. After a goal by senior Stephen Kingery cut the Bison lead to 3-1, Bucknell went on the offensive attack, scoring three more unanswered goals to extend the lead to 6-1. The Jays were looking for momentum at the end of the half, and that is just what they got from freshman Giovanni Cragnotti. With less than 30 seconds to spare, Cragnotti sliced through the Bison defense to put a goal into the cage, pulling the Jays within four at the half.
The momentum was short-lived, however, as the Bison came sprinting out of the gate at the beginning of the third quarter by putting two goals past Henrikson to stretch the lead to 8-2. After swapping goal for goal, Bucknell held firm with a 12-6 lead. Little mercy was shown by Bucknell throughout the rest of the game. With just over three minutes to play, the Bison notched yet another goal, bringing the lead to seven, completing the rout of the Jays with a final score of 13-6. Kingery posted another multi-goal game for the Jays, but there was minimal offensive highlights from the rest of the squad. Henrikson again made six saves, while junior Danny Ovelar earned himself one save in limited action during the match.
Sophomore Langdon Froomer, when asked about the weekend performance for the Jays, realized the team's play could have been better, but knows that the best has yet to come for the squad. “It was a tough weekend; we didn’t play up to our potential,” Froomer said. “We have Division III championships next weekend and we’re really confident that we can go into the tournament and come out on top.”
Henrikson offered a similar sentiment when asked about the team going forward. “We are definitely going to come prepared going into the D-III Eastern Championships next weekend and sweep the board,” It’s a huge tournament for the program and it’s at home this year, so everyone should come out and support!”
The team returns to action this coming weekend for the 2013 CWPA Division III Championship. The team knows the importance of this weekend and seems as prepared as ever. Froomer and Henrikson both reiterated the importance of the coming weekend, and these opinions are definitely not unique to just them. With honorees from this season in Henrikson, freshman Matt Fraser, and others, the championships will be another time for Hopkins sports to shine under the lights, in an attempt to bring yet another championship trophy back to Baltimore. Team scoring leaders include juniors Wes Hopkins and Johnny Beal, along with Fraser and senior Tommy de Lyon, who have all led the team to a high scoring, successful season with a record of 12-6, facing some of the toughest opponents the nation has to offer. The battle-tested nature of the club bodes well for what the coming weekend has to offer: hopefully another championship.
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