Nov. 5, 2004

PRINCETON, NJ - The Johns Hopkins water polo team went 3-1 and finished in fifth place at the Southern Division Championships at Princeton's DeNunzio Pool last weekend. The Blue Jays ended their season with an 18-16 overall record and a 5-9 mark in the Southern Division.

Johns Hopkins entered the tournament as the ninth seed out of 12 teams but knocked off fourth-seeded Washington and Jefferson and eighth-seeded Mercyhurst on Saturday to end the day second in its bracket. The Blue Jays' only loss of the day came to fifth-seeded Bucknell and put them in Sunday's fifth-place game against sixth-seeded Slippery Rock.

Hopkins took a 4-2 first-quarter lead over Washington and Jefferson and sealed the win with a 6-1 final period, when senior Brian Mead (Palo Alto, CA/Gunn) scored three of his game-high six goals. Senior Mac Sanford (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich) added four goals as the Blue Jays upset Washington and Jefferson 18-12.

After falling to Bucknell 12-8, Johns Hopkins scored the first nine goals against Mercyhurst and led 13-6 at the half. Sanford and senior Dan Stillman (Virginia Beach, VA/Suffield Academy) had four goals apiece in the 16-8 win for the Blue Jays.

In the game for fifth place, Johns Hopkins defeated Slippery Rock 12-5 behind Mead's six goals. The Jays led 4-1 after one quarter and 9-1 at the half in the decisive win.

Top-seeded Princeton won the Southern Championship by defeating Navy 10-9 in the title game. Salem International and Bucknell finished third and fourth above the Blue Jays.