WASHINGTON, PA – Iason Mihalopoulos scored with just 11 seconds remaining to lift ninth-ranked Johns Hopkins to a 20-19 win over Gannon in the Blue Jays' season opener Saturday afternoon. The Blue Jays open the season with a win for the first time since 2019.
 
Gannon jumped out to a 3-1 lead with a pair of Nikiforos Liantziris goals. Mihalopoulos then scored to spark a 4-1 run as Hopkins took a 5-4 lead into the second quarter. The Golden Knights responded with five straight to open the second as they took a 9-5 lead.
 
Alec Baker halted the run with a six-on-six score to ignite a 5-1 run and the teams went into the half tied at 10. Luke Mendelsohn and Mason Hofmann capped the run with their first career goals. Victor Volant scored back-to-back goals to open the third and put Gannon up 12-10 early. Mihalopoulos scored to pull the Blue Jays back within one, but Petar Markovic and Rajmund Farsang answered with back-to-back goals for the Knights.
 
The teams traded scores in a spurt that bridged the third and fourth quarters and Gannon led 17-14. Hofmann then scored to kick-start a 5-1 run and Hopkins grabbed a 19-18 lead late. Steffey followed Hoffman's score and then Mendelsohn netted a pair to give the Blue Jays their first lead since Mihalopoulos opened the scoring.
 
Volant answered for Gannon to tie the game at 18 but Steffey came right back for Hopkins to make it 19-18. The Knights responded again, tying the game on a Liantziris score. Mihalopoulos, who scored the game's first goal, scored the last goal giving the Blue Jays the win with 11 ticks on the clock.
 
Mihalopoulos led Hopkins and tied his career high with five goals and six points. Mendelsohn scored four goals to go with an assist and four steals in his collegiate debut. Own Bartlett and Phillip Long had four points (2g, 2a) each. Steffey and added three points (2g, 1a) while Hofmann scored twice in his debut. Chris Poisler tied his career high with 13 saves in the cage for the win.