Nov. 8, 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 has a lot to gain with a win in its last home game of the regular season at Homewood Field on Saturday.
By beating Franklin & Marshall, the Blue Jays would secure the outright Centennial Conference title, earn the 500th win in school history and move within one victory of an undefeated regular season for the second time in three years.
But knocking off the Diplomats will be easier said than done. F&M has averaged 30.2 points per game and features senior dual-threat quarterback E.J. Schneider, who is second in the CC with 1,934 passing yards on the year; he also leads the team in rushing. Schneider also led the Diplomats to a 14-12 victory against JHU last season.
JHU's signal caller, Robbie Matey, is a close third with 1,920 yards and stands at 20-2 as Hopkins' starting quarterback. With the potential for a memorable quarterback duel and so much on the line, this game is one to keep an eye on. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. at Homewood Field.
Women's Soccer
The Johns Hopkins women's soccer team will spend the weekend in pursuit of the Centennial Conference crown.
The Blue Jays, who, by virtue of their 9-0-1 record in conference competition (16-1-1 overall), are the top seed and host of the CC tournament this weekend, will take on Muhlenberg in a semifinal game on Friday night (5 p.m.). If they win, they will compete in the championship game on Saturday night (5:30 p.m.) against either second-seeded Haverford or third-seeded Gettysburg. All of the games will be played at Homewood Field.
While facing two strong opponents in a span of two days will be far from easy, JHU can find some confidence in the fact that it has numerous experienced players to lead the way, including leading scorers Hannah Kronick (16g, 8a) and Kelly Baker (9g, 3a). While shutting down Kronick and Baker is a focus of the opposition, it doesn't ensure success; freshman Meg Van de Loo (8g, 2a) is one of three other players with five or more goals and 12 or more points.
Volleyball
The Johns Hopkins volleyball team will take on top-seeded Franklin & Marshall in the semifinals of the Centennial Conference tournament on Saturday (@ F&M).
The Blue Jays, who swept Gettysburg in the first round of the tournament on Wednesday, will need a strong performance across the board to knock off the Diplomats. F&M went 10-0 in Centennial Conference play this season (24-5 overall) and topped JHU 3-1 in the regular season.
The Blue Jays will look to Megan Donohoe, Caitlin Callihan, and Mariel Metalios, who have proven themselves reliable in big moments this season and in year's past. The match will be played at F&M and is set for 1:00 p.m.
Men's Water Polo
The Johns Hopkins water polo team will travel to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, this weekend for the 2013 Collegiate Water Polo Association Southern Division Championships.
The Blue Jays earned a bye and, consequently, will not have to play on Friday. Instead, they will open up the tournament with a match against either Navy or Penn State Behrend at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Regardless of whether it wins or loses, JHU will play once more on Saturday and again on Sunday. However, the stakes they play for will depend on their record. Two wins on Saturday would propel the Blue Jays to the championship match.
Wrestling
The Johns Hopkins wrestling team will compete against Oneonta and Wilkes in the John Reese Duels on Saturday in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The meet will start at 12:00 p.m.
Men's Basketball
The Johns Hopkins men's basketball team will scrimmage against York in York, PA, on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. The season-opener for the JHU men's and women's basketball teams will be at home next weekend.
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