Feb. 28, 2014
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 implications, will lead the column each week).
Men's Basketball
The Johns Hopkins men's basketball team will kick off the final leg of its quest for its first Centennial Conference title since 2007 when it faces off against Franklin & Marshall on Friday night in the semifinals of the CC tournament.
The game, which will be played at top-seeded Dickinson in Carlisle, PA, presents a matchup of the second-seeded Diplomats versus the three-seeded Blue Jays. While JHU holds the lower seed, it (15-10, 12-6 CC) beat F&M (17-8, 13-5 CC) by double digits both at home and on the road this season.
With so much on the line, no clear favorite, and the chance for a shootout between two of the CC's better scoring duos (JHU's Jimmy Hammer and George Bugarinovic and F&M's John Salandra and Matt Porter), this game should be worth the price of admission.
Tickets are $5 for adults (18 and over) and $3 for students (13-18 without college ID). Students with a valid college ID from one of the participating schools are free. Children 12 and under are also free.
Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 pm ET.
Men's Basketball vs. Franklin & Marshall Live Video
Women's Basketball
The Johns Hopkins women's basketball team had a roller coaster of a regular season, spending much of it atop the Centennial Conference before a three-game losing slide threw a wrench in the squad's momentum. They rebounded, but were unable to recover the top spot in the CC and eventually finished third.
Fortunately for the Blue Jays, none of that matters now as they are safely in the semifinals of the conference tournament, with as good of a shot at the title as anyone. JHU will attempt to capitalize on its opportunity on Friday when it faces off against second-seeded McDaniel at Haverford College.
McDaniel, however, should present a significant challenge for the Blue Jays. The Green Terror was the only CC team to sweep the Blue Jays this year and has proven to be a defensive stalwart, having held opponents to 52.5 points per game in the regular season.
Tickets are $5 for adults (18 and over) and $3 for students (13-18 without college ID). Students with a valid college ID from one of the participating schools are free. Children 12 and under are also free.
The game is expected to start at 8:00 pm ET.
Women's Basketball vs. McDaniel Live Stats
Women's Basketball vs. McDaniel Live Video
Men's Lacrosse
The Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse team will play one of its more hyped matches of the season on Saturday when it takes on longtime rival Princeton in a battle of nationally-ranked powerhouses.
The Blue Jays (3-0) are ranked fifth in the most recent USILA Coaches' rankings while Princeton (2-0) comes in at 10th. On top of that, both teams have proven to be absolutely relentless on the offensive end of the field, each averaging 13 goals per game so far this year.
With bragging rights on the line and both teams flying high, this matchup could very well be one to remember.
Opening faceoff is slated for noon ET.
Men's Lacrosse at Princeton Live Stats
Men's Lacrosse at Princeton Live Video
Women's Lacrosse
Momentum plays a significant role in deciding where a team, in any sport, ends up.
Luckily for the Johns Hopkins women's lacrosse team, it has more than enough right now. JHU has won its first four games of the season, with its most recent victory coming against Loyola, which was ranked fifth in the IWLCA Coaches' poll. On Saturday, the Blue Jays will look to keep things rolling when the American Eagles (1-3) come to Homewood Field.
The Eagles can be dangerous if the Blue Jays aren't on guard. They field a number of dangerous scorers, including Jessica Wojciechowski, who has notched seven goals so far this year, and have proven themselves to be tough competitors after stunning the Blue Jays, 10-9, in overtime last season.
Opening draw is scheduled for 1:00 pm ET.
Women's Lacrosse vs. American Live Video
Men's & Women's Indoor Track & Field
The Johns Hopkins men's and women's track teams will head to Haverford, PA, this weekend for the 2013-14 Centennial Conference Indoor Track & Field Championship.
The meet, which will run throughout the entirety of Saturday and Sunday, will pit the Blue Jays against a multitude of familiar foes, many of whom they saw last week at the Keogh Invitational (also hosted by Haverford College).
Both teams performed exceptionally well at the Invitational in a variety of events and their success should give them confidence heading into the Championship.
Senior Emily Swenson looks to become the first three-time champ in the shot in Centennial history. She holds the Conference's top performance in the event (13.40m), but will face challenges from teammate Gracie Hargrove and Swarthmore's Osazenoriuwa Ebose.
On the men's side, the last two indoor champions in the high jump are back. Junior Ryan Walsh (2.01m) captured the gold in 2012, while Ursinus' Darius Jones (1.93m) is the defending champ. Blue Jay Alex Naticchia is the defending champ in the long jump and has the year's top performance (6.77m) but will face challenges from Dickinson's Aaron Pannell and Gettysburg's Travis Andrews.
The women will look to claim their fourth straight CC title while the men will seek a repeat.
Centennial Conference Championship Live Results
Women's Tennis
The Johns Hopkins women's tennis team will kick off the spring season with the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division III National Women's Team Indoor Championship, hosted by DePauw University in Greencastle, IN.
After winning the championship last year as the fifth-seed, the Blue Jays will compete as the top seed this time around. Hopkins will take on eighth-seeded UC Santa Cruz on Friday with the hope of advancing to the semifinals on Saturday and the championship on Sunday.
University of Chicago, Carnegie Mellon, Pomona-Pitzer, University of Redlands and Washington University (MO) round out the eight-team field.
Friday's action is scheduled to kick off at 10:00 am ET.
ITA Team Indoor Championship Live Results
Men's Fencing
The Johns Hopkins men's fencing team will be gunning for a repeat at the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Fencing Association Championships in West Point, NY, this Sunday.
Last year, the Blue Jays topped the field in the Epee and Sabre while finishing third in the Foil to claim their record 26th MACFA title.
The event will run throughout Sunday and comes a week before the NCAA Regional Championship.
Wrestling
The Johns Hopkins wrestling team will compete in the NCAA East Regional Championships in Wilkes-Barre, PA on Sunday. The Blue Jays are coming off a third-place finish at the Centennial Conference Championship last weekend. Fans should keep an eye on the 125-pound weight class which features of the top-10 wrestlers in the nation, including JHU's own Paul Bewak. Bewak, currently 29-1 on the season and ranked second in his weight class, finished third at last year's regional. The East Regional Championships are scheduled to kick off at 9:00 am ET.
NCAA Regional Live Results
NCAA Regional Live Video (Finals only)
Men's Tennis
The Johns Hopkins men's tennis team will have an opportunity to take down another ranked opponent on Sunday, when the Blue Jays take on the Washington & Lee Generals in Lexington, VA. The Generals are currently ranked 22nd in Division III while the Blue Jays are ranked 10th and coming off a runner-up finish at the ITA Team Indoor Championship.
Hopkins has already beaten Emory (6th at the time) and Case Western (13th at the time), both by final scores of 6-3.
Match time is set for 11:00 am ET.
