SALEM, WV – Johns Hopkins got hat tricks from
Matthieu Giauque,
Max Blecher and
Jasper Hirt to ease past Mercyhurst, 21-6, in the opening game of the Salem Open. The Blue Jays improve to 4-2 on the season while the Lakers fall to 0-5.
The Blue Jays jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the game's first four minutes with goals from Giauque,
Patrick Rooney,
Mason Hofmann and
Ben Lucas. The Lakers broke up the run with a score from Ben Gavran at 3:18, but JHU answered with three straight to grab a 7-1 lead with 5:11 to play in the second. Petar Vujovic then scored back-to-back goals to pull Mercyhurst back within 7-3.
Brody Mars converted a five-meter at 3:26 to spark an 11-0 Blue Jay run that spanned more than 13 and a half minutes. Seven Blue Jays scored during the run, capped by a Blecher strike at 6:03 in the fourth. Vujovic and Gavran sandwiched goals around a
Simon Burtnyk score and Hopkins led 19-4.
Luke Mendelsohn and
Owen Bartlett responded with back-to-back goals to push JHU over the 20-goal mark. Vujovic capped the scoring with 43 ticks on the clock.
Phillip Long led the Blue Jays with six points (2g, 4a) while Giauque (3g, 2a) and Mendelsohn (1g, 4a) added five points each. Blecher and Hirt finished with three goals and one assist each. Long also blocked three shots, and
Chris Poisler, Mendelsohn and Lucas nabbed three steals each. Giauque drew a career-best six exclusions while
David Edelman tallied five drawn exclusions.
Chris Poisler earned the win in the cage with seven saves and three steals.
Hopkins returns to action on Saturday afternoon against Fresno Pacific.
