The Basics
• Scores: #5 Johns Hopkins-11, #8 MIT-10
• Records: JHU (8-22) • MIT (9-20)
• Location: Claremont, CA • Haldeman Pool
• The Short Story: Freshman Kyle Pearson made 21 saves and senior Emerson Sullivan had a hat trick to lead the Johns Hopkins water polo team to an 11-10 win over MIT in the USA Water Polo Division III Third-Place game.
 
How it Happened
• Kyle Pearson made three straight saves to open the game, including a five-meter stop, before the Engineers got on the board at 4:29. Freshman Ian Raley answered with a six-on-five goal just 28 seconds later to tie the game. Miller Geschke put MIT back on top, but back-to-back goals by sophomores Cameron Burns and Liam Housenbold gave Hopkins its first lead at the 1:31-mark. The lead was short-lived as Geschke scored to knot the score at three as the clock ticked under a minute. Sullivan responded for the Blue Jays, scoring on a man-up to put JHU up 4-3 after one.
• Sophomore Seth Berke took a pass from senior Jayden Kunwar and scored from the wing at 6:25, followed by a Sullivan goal with one tick on the shot clock to stake Hopkins to a 6-3 lead. Four straight Kyle Pearson saves, a Blue Jay steal and a Kunwar goal prompted an Engineers timeout as the Blue Jays led 7-3 with 1:46 left in the second. Geschke would end the Blue Jays' run, scoring on a six-on-five to make it a 7-4 game at the half.
• Sullivan opened the third quarter with his third of the day as Hopkins pushed its lead to four. Evan Kowal and Geschke answered with back-to-back goals to cut the deficit in half, but a Sullivan steal led to a Kunwar transition goal and Hopkins led 9-6. John Steele had the final say of the quarter, scoring a man-up goal for the Engineers to make it a 9-7 game after three.
• MIT got goals from Alexander Freedline and Geschke to tie the game at nine with 3:53 to play. But Housenbold answered with a behind-the-back sweep into the top of the goal to put JHU back on top, 10-9. The lead lasted just nine seconds however as a Kyle Sandell score pulled the Engineers level with 1:58 on the clock. Junior Chris Freese scored on a quick shot off a pass from Burns to put the Blue Jays back on top just 35 seconds later. The Hopkins defense was able to shut MIT down and keep the Engineers off the scoreboard for the final 83 seconds.
 
What it Means
• Hopkins improves to 32-12 all-time against MIT and won both meetings this season.
• The Blue Jays are now 1-3 in two appearances at the USA Water Polo Division III National Championship.
• Sullivan and Housebnold were named to the all-tournament team.
 
Inside the Box Score
• Sullivan led the Blue Jays with three goals and one assist, to go with three drawn ejections, a steal and two blocks. Kunwar added two goals, two assists and a block while Housenbold scored twice and drew two ejections.
• Sullivan moved into a tie for 20^th in school history with 184 career points. Kunwar is now tied for 18^th with 60 career assists.
• Graduate student Olin Shipstead had three drawn ejections and two blocks, to go with two assists. Senior Jake Pearson is now 15^th with 118 career steals and Shipstead is now 11^th with 24 career blocks.
• Kyle Pearson finished with 21 saves, breaking the school freshmen single-game record. In addition, he finished the season with 280 saves – a school freshman record. His 280 saves are also the fifth most in a season overall in Johns Hopkins history.