Nov. 1, 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
On Saturday afternoon, the Johns Hopkins football team will face what is quite possibly the greatest obstacle standing between it and a fifth straight Centennial Conference title.
Ursinus (6-1, 5-1 in CC play) currently trails the Blue Jays (7-0, 6-0) by one game for control of the conference and has dominated offensively thus far this season, averaging 31.1 points and 405.6 yards per game.
JHU has been similarly strong on the offensive side of the ball. With quarterback Robbie Matey and a stable of dangerous running backs leading the way, the Blue Jays have put up an eye-popping 42.9 points per game and beaten conference opponents by margins as high as 55 points.
A win by JHU would, at the very least, guarantee the team at least a share of the conference title. Coupled with a loss by Franklin & Marshall, it would clinch the conference outright for the Blue Jays.
With both teams more than capable of lighting up the scoreboard and a championship potentially on the line, this game is not one to be missed. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. at Homewood Field.
Live Video •
Cross Country
The Johns Hopkins men's and women's cross country teams will travel to McDaniel College in Westminster, MD, on Saturday for the 2013 Centennial Conference Championships.
The men (ranked 32nd in Division III) will, in all likelihood, face the strongest competition from Haverford (ranked 12th) and Dickinson (ranked 8th). The Blue Jays will need strong performances across the board, but especially from top senior Max Robinson, if they are to bring an end Haverford and Dickinson's reign of dominance over the CC (the two teams have won every title dating back to the conference's inaugural season in 1993).
The women, on the other hand, will look to take home their sixth straight title and preserve their top ranking in DIII. Challengers include Haverford, Dickinson, Swarthmore and Gettysburg, which are all ranked in the top 10 in the region.
Men's Soccer
The Johns Hopkins men's soccer team could earn the second seed in the Centennial Conference tournament, miss out on the tournament, or end up somewhere in between. All of it depends on the outcome of the Blue Jays' game against Haverford on Saturday, as well as the outcomes of the other Centennial Conference matchups in the conference's final week of action before the tournament.
With so much out of its control, JHU (7-7-2, 4-3-1 in CC play) can only focus on beating Haverford - a task that will be far from easy.
The Fords (11-4-1, 5-2-1) are averaging nearly two goals per game while holding opponents to about one and have shown the ability to start fast. Overall this season, they have outscored opponents 20-4 in the first period and are ranked 18th in the nation.
The match is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Homewood Field.
Live Video •
Women's Soccer
The only thing that will be on the line for the Johns Hopkins women's soccer team when it takes the field against Franklin & Marshall on Saturday will be its undefeated Centennial Conference record (8-0-1).
Other than that, the Blue Jays, who have already clinched the top seed in the CC tournament, appear to be angling for home field advantage in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
Still, JHU would prefer to keep its momentum intact heading into the playoffs. The game, which will be played at Franklin & Marshall, is set to start at 3 p.m.
Live Video • Live Stats
Volleyball
The Johns Hopkins volleyball team clinched a spot in the Centennial Conference tournament with a 3-0 win at Gettysburg on Wednesday, but that doesn't mean the Blue Jays don't have anything to play for at Dickinson on Saturday.
A win could potentially result in JHU, which currently has the fourth seed, moving up to the third. A loss could bump the Blue Jays down to fifth.
The match is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Dickinson.
Water Polo
The Johns Hopkins water polo team is in for a busy weekend, with a home match against George Washington on Friday and a doubleheader against Mercyhurst and Navy in Annapolis on Saturday.
The match against GWU is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and the matches against Mercyhurst and Navy for 2:45 p.m and 7:00 p.m., respectively.
These are the final tuneups for the Blue Jays before the the Collegiate Water Polo Association Southern Championships next week.
Swimming
The Johns Hopkins men's and women's swimming teams will travel one mile to Loyola to compete in the Thomas Murphy Invitational. The event will take place on Friday and Saturday and includes JHU, Loyola, Marywood and St. Francis (PA). Friday's action is set to start at 5 p.m. and Saturday's at 10 a.m.
Wrestling
The Johns Hopkins wrestling team will compete in the Messiah Invitational on Saturday and then travel to the University of Maryland on Sunday as the Blue Jays open the season with stiff competition on both days.
- 30 -
