Oct. 27, 2012

Stats

CHESTERTOWN, MD - The Johns Hopkins men's soccer team needed a win in its regular season finale to assure itself of making the Centennial Conference Tournament for the 12th straight season. And the Blue Jays got what they needed as they rode a pair of first half goals to a 2-0 win over the host Washington College Shoremen Saturday night. Hopkins evens its overall record to 7-7-2 and 5-3-1 in the Centennial Conference. Washington College ends its season at 5-10-0 overall and 3-6-0 in the league.

Hopkins earns the number four seed in the conference tournament and will host fifth-seed Franklin & Marshall on Wednesday in the first round. The Blue Jays finished with 16 points, one point ahead of the Diplomats and the Muhlenberg Mules.

Sophomore Simon Rojas put Hopkins on the board early, scoring his first of the season in just the fifth minute to stake the visitors to a 1-0 lead. Junior Birin Padam played a corner kick into the box, where Rojas fired it past Shoremen keeper Tyler Cabot. Freshman Eric Buck added to the lead in the 43rd minute as he buried a free kick for his second of the season. Sophomore Nick Cerrone and the Hopkins' defense would make the two-goal lead stand as Washington College took just three shots in the second half, with Cerrone forced to make just one save in the second period.

Hopkins outshot Washington College 20-6 and had an 8-2 advantage in corners. Cerrone finished with a pair of saves for his eighth shutout of the season. Cabot made six saves in the loss for the Shoremen.

Hopkins and Franklin & Marshall will meet for the third time in the Centennial Conference Tournament. The time of Wednesday's first round game will be determined on Monday. Stay tuned to HopkinsSports.com for more information.