ALLENTOWN, PA – In a rematch of the 2022 Centennial Conference men's soccer championship, Johns Hopkins turned the tables on host Muhlenberg. The Blue Jays avenged last year's title game shootout loss on Homewood Field with a 1-0 win over the Mules Sunday afternoon.
 
This is Hopkins' first title since 2019 and 10^th overall. The Blue Jays' 10 Centennial Conference titles are the most in conference history. JHU also earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will find out where it is going when the bracket is announced on Monday, November 6 at 2:00 pm. Fans can watch the selection show on NCAA.com.
 
The Blue Jays had a great look at goal in the 22^nd minute when senior Francis Meyer played a great ball over the top to graduate student Aidan Dunphy. He picked the upper right corner, but Mules' goalie Ben Mulford knocked it away.
 
Just over a minute later, it was Meyer blocking a hard shot by Taylan Akdag to keep the game scoreless. Hopkins then got on the board in the 24^th minute with what turned out to be the game's only goal. Graduate student Ben Goodman dropped the ball back to senior Logan Falzarano, who centered it to sophomore Jackson Shapiro. Shapiro eluded a Muhlenberg defender and then slipped a pass through the back line to Falzarano. He took one touch and then slotted a shot under a diving Mulford and into the open goal.
 
Goodman seemingly gave the Blue Jays' a two-goal lead in the 30^th minute when he chipped a shot over Mulford, who was off his line. The ball dipped down but hit the crossbar and was cleared out. Greyson King had two good chances on headers late in the half, but both missed the mark.
 
Muhlenberg earned a pair of quick corners early in the second but the Mules weren't able to connect. Sophomore Will Andrus fired a sneaky shot through traffic that just missed the far post in the 56^th minute. Midway through the half, Dunphy made another nice run before finding Andrus open for a look at goal, but his shot went high. The Mules turned up the pressure as time ticked away, but the Blue Jay defense held firm to secure the championship.
 
Hopkins had a 16-13 advantage in shots while Muhlenberg had a 5-2 edge in corners. The Blue Jays' two corners were the only ones allowed by the Mules in their three tournament games.
 
Senior Drew Valsamedis finished with one save in earning his third straight shutout. Mulford made six saves in the loss for the Mules. Falzarano was named the Centennial Conference Tournament MVP.
 
Notes: Hopkins' last four conference titles have been won on the road, including two at Muhlenberg (2009, 2023) • This is the first time the Blue Jays have won the conference title without surrendering a goal since 2004 (two games).