Oct. 23, 2011

JHU-PSB Box Score

JHU-W&J Box Score

ERIE, PA - The Johns Hopkins water polo team outscored its two opponents a combined 41-11 to win its 13th Division III Eastern Championship. The Blue Jays have now won 13 of the 21 championships contested. Top-seeded Hopkins opened up with a 20-6 win over host Penn State Behrend and then beat Washington & Jefferson, 21-5, in the title match. Junior Kielan Crow was named the tournament MVP.

Hopkins jumped out to a 5-0 lead on Penn State Behrend led by a pair of goals from Crow, including a five-meter goal. Nich Pabich and Justin Vink then sandwiched a pair of Lion goals around a strike from junior Mike McCreery and Hopkins led 6-2 with 2:43 to play in the opening quarter. The Blue Jays responded with an 8-0 run that bridged the first and second quarters, led by a four-goal spurt from junior Alex Whittam.

The Lions scored the first and last goals of the third quarter from Kody Veit and Pabich, but in between the Blue Jays scored three to lead 17-4 heading into the final stanza. The teams traded goals throughout the fourth quarter as Hopkins took the 20-6 win.

Whittam paced the Blue Jays with five goals and one assist, while senior Mark Strickland poured in four goals. Junior Ross Schofield had a team-high three helpers, while Crow had two goals and an assist. Freshman Johnny Beal had two goals and two assists. In the goal, freshmen Danny Ovelar, Scott Weigel and Jacob Dorn combined to make seven saves.

The Blue Jays turned in another dominating performance in the championship match, taking down the Presidents, 21-5. Hopkins pushed out to an 8-1 lead after the first quarter, fueled by a hat trick from Whittam and a pair of goals from Crow. Washington & Jefferson held Hopkins to just three goals in the second, while scoring two of its own, but the Blue Jays still led 11-3 at the half. It was more of the same in the second half as the Blue Jays outscored the Presidents, 10-2, to take the title.

Whittam turned in his second five-goal performance of the day while adding a pair of assists to lead the offense. Crow scored four goals, while sophomore Jake Gillette had four assists and McCreery, Strickland and Schofield each had three. Ovelar, Weigel and Dorn made a combined 12 saves in the win.

Crow led a contingent of five all-tournament selections by grabbing first team and MVP honors. Also earning first team all-tournament honors were Schofield and Ovelar. While Whittam and freshman Wes Hopkins were named to the second team.

Hopkins returns to action on Sunday, October 23 as the Blue Jays take on the Mercyhurst Lakers in the Division II-Division III Crossover.