Oct. 18, 2013
Freshman Will Bellamy joined the Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications staff as a student assistant not long after arriving at Homewood in August. An experienced writer, he will bolster the efforts of the office with a preview of each weekend's events (please note that this is not intended to be an exhaustive in-depth preview of every game or event. Rather, it provides a quick overview for fans with key links and things to look for. Key games, especially those against nationally-ranked teams or those with playoff implacations, will lead the column each week).
Football
The Johns Hopkins football team will play its only game of the regular season under the lights at Homewood Field when it faces off against Dickinson on Friday night. The contest marks a break in the normal Saturday afternoon routine for the Blue Jays (5-0, 4-0 in Centennial Conference competition), who have been playing games on Friday nights at Homewood Field since 1982.
JHU has been dominant thus far this season, scoring 44.8 points per game while holding opponents to 11.6. In the final game before last weekend's bye, the Blue Jays beat conference rival Juniata 65-10 behind the efforts of quarterback Robbie Matey, who threw for 408 yards and six touchdowns, and freshman running backs Dionisio Roman and Stuart Walters, who combined for 143 yards on the ground.
Dickinson (2-3, 2-2 in CC play) dropped its last game to Franklin & Marshall, but the Red Devils' last two wins in the series came at Homewood Field (2004, 2006) and the Friday Night Lights have led to some entertaining games through the years. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
Football vs. Dickinson
Live Video •
Water Polo
The Johns Hopkins water polo team will host the Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III Eastern Championship this weekend at the Newton White Athletic Center. The tournament will feature six teams divided into two brackets. On Saturday, Johns Hopkins will take on the other two teams in its bracket, Connecticut College and Monmouth.
JHU has long been the standard among Division III water polo teams in the east as the Blue Jays have claimed 14 titles in the last 21 years.
The Blue Jays currently have a 12-6 record and have held their own against a number of strong Division I opponents thus far this season. The latter, in particular, bodes well for JHU heading into the tournament.
The Blue Jays will play their first game on Saturday at 10:00 a.m.
Water Polo vs. Monmouth - Live Video
Water Polo vs. Connecticut College - Live Video
Cross Country
Both the Johns Hopkins men's and women's cross country teams will compete in the Christopher Newport Invitational in Newport News, VA, on Saturday afternoon. The invitational will be the last meet for the Blue Jays before the Centennial Conference championships and should be a good opportunity for them to prepare.
The women's team, ranked number one in Division III, will face off in a 6K-race against No.21 Carlton, as well as CNU and Washington & Lee, both of which have done well regionally. Several Division I teams will also be in the mix, including Norfolk State, Hampton, North Carolina A&T and Virginia Commonwealth.
For the men's team, which is ranked 30th, the toughest competition in the 8K should come from Carlton, Lynchburg, Washington & Lee, York and several Division I teams. The women are set to run at 11:00 a.m. and the men at noon.
Field Hockey, Volleyball & Soccer
This weekend will be key for the Johns Hopkins field hockey, volleyball, and men's and women's soccer teams as all four attempt to secure bids in their respective Centennial Conference tournaments, each of which features the top five teams from the conference. While none of the four can actually secure a bid this weekend, it could be "Separation Saturday" as teams in the league jockey for position in the standings.
• The field hockey team (3-4 in CC play) currently sits in seventh but could sneak up on Haverford (3-3), Gettysburg (3-3) and Muhlenberg (4-3) with a late-season surge. A win at Bryn Mawr on Saturday would snap a five-game losing slide and help put the Blue Jays back on track in time to make such a run.
Field Hockey @ Bryn Mawr
Live Video
The volleyball team (4-1 in CC play) is fourth in the conference but only trails the leaders by a slim margin. The Blue Jays would inch closer to a berth with wins over Haverford (on the road) on Friday and Bryn Mawr (at home) on Saturday afternoon.
Volleyball @ Haverford
Volleyball vs. Bryn Mawr
Live Video
The men's soccer team (2-2-1 in CC play) is currently locked in a five-team tie for fourth place in the conference, which means that a single game is more than enough to determine whether or not the Blue Jays make the tournament. The team can improve its chances with a win at longtime rival Muhlenberg on Saturday night.
Men's Soccer @ Muhleberg
Live Video • Live Stats
• The women's soccer team (4-0-1), on the other hand, has a much clearer road to a tournament berth as JHU trails only Gettysburg (5-1-1) for first place. The Blue Jays will move closer to the top seed if they knock off Bryn Mawr on Saturday afternoon at Homewood Field. Hopkins will makeup its previously postponed game against Ursinus on Monday night at Homewood Field (7 pm). A sweep of Bryn Mawr and Ursinus would assure JHU of a Centennial playoff berth.
Women's soccer vs. Bryn Mawr
Live Video •
Wrestling
While not a fall sport, don't forget to tune in to HopkinsSports.com if you can't make it to Saturday's Blaack & Blue Brawl from Homewood Field. The wrestling team's annual intrasquad scrimmage has drawn national attention as the Blue Jays will set up the mats at the 50-yard line and have at it under the watchful eye of head coach Keith Norris.
Black & Blue Brawl Live Video
