Athlete of the Week: Erik Henrikson - Water Polo

In an attempt to avenge two tough losses against top-notch D-I competition, the Hopkins men’s water polo team entered this past weekend with a major chip on its shoulder. The Jays were set to face off against Princeton, ranked eighth in the country amongst D-I water polo teams, on Saturday morning, followed by another game on Sunday morning against Bucknell. Having lost each of their previous matches to these teams, the Jays were chomping at the bit for a chance to achieve redemption after two high-intensity matches that resulted in two losses.

And that’s exactly what they did.

In the most spectacular of fashions, Hopkins upset Princeton on Saturday by a final score of 10-9. It was the first time that a D-III team had ever defeated a D-I squad ranked in the Top 10 of the country. On the very next day, the Jays re-entered the pool and claimed a bit of vengeance against the Bison, defeating Bucknell by a final score of 14-12. The underdog came out victorious not once, but twice.

While the overall team effort was prevalent and numerous members contributed admirably both offensively and defensively, junior starting goaltender Erik Henrikson was excellent between the pipes and stood out as a very valuable player, as he recorded the win in net against the Tigers and the Bison. In the first game against Princeton, Henrikson was a brick wall, stopping 18 shots and adding an assist in the one-goal victory. The 18 saves marked the third-most saves made in a game in Hopkins water polo program history. The very next day, Henrikson was a key to success again, as he notched nine saves against a stingy Bison offense. For his consistent and steady play in goal, his record-breaking performance against Princeton and his ability to lead the Jays, Henrikson was named Athlete of the Week by The News-Letter.

We had the chance to catch up with the star goaltender and ask him a few questions about the successful weekend.

The News-Letter (NL): Congratulations on the two victories this weekend! What was your team’s reaction when you all realized that you defeated a Top 10 Division I team, Princeton, on Saturday?

Erik Henrikson (EH): Well to be honest, we didn’t really think about it too much. We play Princeton all of the time because they’re in our league. We played them two weeks before, and we were disappointed by the outcome of that game. But it didn’t really hit any of us hard until we saw the press releases after the game. It’s really cool that we accomplished our goal, and it’s a pretty awesome statistic.

NL: In addition, the team defeated Bucknell on Sunday. How meaningful was it to pick up two key victories?

EH: The Princeton game was a really huge win for us because they’re at the top of our division and it was critical for us to win. However, the game against Bucknell was even more important because if we had lost to Bucknell, it would’ve negated the victory against Princeton and all of our hard work. It wouldn’t have shown in the standings, and ultimately, our goal is finish at the top of the standings and obtain the best seed possible going into Southern playoffs. We were very motivated to get another win on Sunday, and I know it provided a spark for myself and for the team.

NL: You joined an elite list of players by recording 18 saves on Saturday. What does it mean to you to make your mark in Hopkins water polo history?

EH: It’s pretty amazing to be recognized to have made the third-most saves in a single game, but I attribute my success on Sunday to the very strong defense in front of me. We played solidly in our end of the pool, and the defense made it difficult for Princeton to get quality scoring chances. I’m very lucky to have a strong group of defenders working in front of me in goal.

NL: Obviously, taking the original loss to Princeton a couple of weeks ago was difficult. What did you improve on to be more prepared for their offense in the game on Saturday?

EH: During the first game against Princeton, I thought we played really well overall. We had excellent communication on the defensive end of the ball. Our defenders took away a lot of ball-side drives and allowed me to focus on the key shots. Unfortunately, the first game didn’t end in our favor. However, in the second game, we improved on the offensive side of the pool and capitalized on more of our shots. Additionally, we had home pool advantage. Our pool is on the smaller side and we utilize that by keeping the game fast-paced. Princeton attempted to slow the game down, but we were able to neutralize their offense by keeping them to the outside. We guarded well, executed well and as a result, I put in my best game of the season so far because of the great support from my teammates.

NL: Which teams do you foresee being the toughest opponents for the remainder of the season?

EH: Our toughest competition will probably be Whittier College. They’re a solid team, and we’ve never played them before so it will be a tough adjustment. Claremont McKenna will also be a difficult test, as we always seem to trip up against them. These are the two games that I’ll be focusing on in the coming weeks. However, it’s critical that we continue to win games in our league, so our matchups against Navy and GW will also be important.

NL: Thanks for talking with us, Erik! Best of luck in the rest of the season.

EH: My pleasure! Thanks so much.

Henrikson and his teammates will utilize the time off this upcoming weekend to prepare for rigorous competition when the team travels out to California on Oct. 3. The official schedule for the tournament has yet to be determined, but the Jays are confident in their ability to reach the championship.