SEWANEE, TN – Freshman Connor Wilkes notched a brace to lead 18^th-ranked Johns Hopkins to a 3-0 win over Rhodes in both teams' season opener Friday afternoon. The Blue Jays open the season with a shutout win for the third time in the last four seasons.
 
After a back and forth first half, it was all Hopkins in the second. Just 10 minutes after halftime, Wilkes got the Blue Jays on the board with his first career goal. Sophomore goalie John Ghanem got things going with a long ball into the Lynx' third, where sophomore Alex Gardner settled. He then sprung Wilkes into the left side of the box with one touch. Wilkes ran onto the pass and slotted a right-footed shot past Henri Kettner.
 
Wilkes gave Hopkins a 2-0 lead in the 63^rd minute with his second of the half. Senior Jackson Shapiro played a short corner kick out to Wilkes just outside the left corner of the box. He took one touch to settle and then fired a low shot inside the near post.

Less than 10 minutes later, it was Shapiro on the finish as the Blue Jays pushed their lead to 3-0. Junior Jacob Sardinha had a good look from close range, but Kettner came up with the stop. The ball rebounded out to the six-yard box and Shapiro poked it home. Gerardo Favela looked to get Rhodes on the board in the 74^th minute, but his shot rang off the crossbar. Shapiro got a brace of his own in the 80^th minute with a rip from 18 yards out, but Kettner tipped it over the bar.
 
Wilkes is the first Blue Jay freshmen to score multiple goals in the season opener in at least the last 20 seasons. Today's game was the first ever meeting between Hopkins and Rhodes.
 
Junior Simon Turner got the start in net and was not forced to make a save in the first half. Ghanem came in at halftime and made a pair of saves to preserve the shutout. Kettner finished with eight saves in the loss for the Lynx. Hopkins had a 16-12 edge in shots, with 11 of those 16 on goal.
 
Hopkins returns to action on Saturday, August 30 at Sewanee. Game time at Puett Field is slated for 5:00 pm CT.