For a weekend scrimmage against Denver University, Hopkins men’s lacrosse traveled to Colorado this weekend, where they were defeated 14-10 by the defending national champions.
Denver got on top early in the game, building an 8-0 lead before the Blue Jays had even taken a single shot on goal.
The first goal scored by Hopkins came from senior Ryan Brown with seven seconds remaining in the first quarter.
After this point, the Hopkins team demonstrated a more commanding presence, outscoring the Pioneers in each of the final three quarters, albeit not enough to overcome their initial deficit.
“We kind of settled down defensively, and offensively we really came together, started getting back to things we do right, not just playing lethargic,” Brown said.
Brown led Hopkins in offense with four shots on goal and three scores. Junior Wilkins Dismuke and freshman Ryan Coulter also each scored two goals.
Hopkins totaled 21 shots on goal. The team is looking to score more of these shots, which has been a central focus in practices.
“It’s been an emphasis all year, scoring the ball and not just shooting the ball, but really shooting to score, making every shot count,” Brown said.
Perhaps what most improved on the Hopkins side later in the game was ball control issues, which had contributed to the Blue Jays’ difficulties in the first quarter.
“They had the ball a lot,” Brown said. “We didn’t have that many possessions in the first quarter. With them having the ball a lot, it was hard to get a rhythm going offensively, especially when they were winning the face-offs that they were.”
Denver dominated face-offs early in the game; Hopkins didn’t win one until early in the second quarter. This gave Denver enough opportunities to take a lead that proved to be insurmountable, despite Hopkins outscoring the Pioneers 10-6 in the final 46 minutes of the game.
“That’s always tough, especially when they score a lot early,” Brown said. “It’s always tough to get in rhythm with that.”
However, Hopkins would control the ball better, while also seeing an improved defensive effort as the game went on, which ultimately provided the scoring opportunities the team needed in order to get back in the game.
“Defensively, it kind of seemed like we locked them down a bit better,” Brown said. “Offensively, we moved more, we didn’t just hold our spots; we were able to cut and move better, not necessarily just everyone stand there; we were able to play well off each other.”
While Hopkins lost this game, it will not affect their standings. Fortunately, the Big-10 division favorites still face a clean slate, and a more direct awareness of what they can improve heading into the season. The team can also examine the final three quarters and work to maintain the positive aspects that led to the beginning of a comeback. In addition, despite the recent loss of senior midfielder Connor Reed, players have rallied and risen to the challenge of stepping up and stepping in to fill the position that was left.
“Connor’s a great player; it’s tough not having him out here, especially for his senior year, but, other people are stepping up,” Brown said. “It’s hard to replace somebody that good, but we’ve been able to kind of go with it.”
Hopkins will continue to be led by impressive offensive performances from players like Brown, as well as coaching and players that will help to establish the “settled-down” dynamic on both sides of the ball that helped the team control the later quarters. Despite an opening loss, the Jays showed a performance that can come back and fight with the No. 1 ranked team in the country.
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