First Round (at Gettysburg): #4 Gettysburg tied #5 Muhlenberg,
1-1 (OT); Bullets advance on PKs 8-7
Semifinal (at Baltimore): #1 Johns Hopkins tied #4 Gettysburg, 1-1
(OT); Blue Jays advance on PKs 5-3.
Semifinal (at Baltimore): #2 Franklin & Marshall d. #3
Swarthmore, 1-0.
Final (at Baltimore): #1 Johns Hopkins d. #2 Franklin &
Marshall, 2-1 (OT).
BALTIMORE, MD - Freshmen Nick Kosik (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus) and Max
Venker (Oldsmar, FL/Palm Harbor University) provided the goals and
senior goalie Danny Coble (Fremont, CA/Bellarmine College Prep)
made two saves to lead the Johns Hopkins men's soccer team to its
third Centennial Conference Tournament Championship. #13 Johns
Hopkins (17-1-2) defeated #19 Franklin & Marshall (13-3-3) 2-1
in overtime on Sunday night at Homewood Field.
Kosik put Hopkins on the board in the 73rd minute, giving the
top-seeded Blue Jays the lead. Senior Trip Neil (Dallas, TX/St.
Mark's School of Texas) dribbled down the right touchline and
centered the ball into the Diplomats' penalty box. Junior Ben
McAbee (Hagerstown, MD/North Hagerstown) settled the ball on the
far endline and touched the ball back in front of the goal. Kosik
stepped to the ball and fired a shot low to the far post past the
outstretched hands of F&M goalie Ed Stelz.
The Diplomats battled back and tied the game at 1-1 in the 81st
minute. Ryan McGonigle crossed the ball into the box from the far
touchline where Brandon Corday headed the ball into the upper left
corner. The teams battled back and forth for the rest of
regulation, but neither was able to find the net again.
Venker found the back of the net in the 97th minute sending his
teammates rushing onto the field as they celebrated third
tournament title. Venker fired a shot off a loose ball in the box
but it was blocked by a Diplomats' defender. The ball ricocheted
back to Venker, who then fired a shot low to the left post the
eluded Stelz igniting the celebration.
Hopkins has won seven regular season Centennial Conference titles
and three tournament titles (2002, 2004, 2006). As the conference
tournament champion, Hopkins gets the automatic qualifier and will
advance to the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time and eighth time
under head coach Matt Smith.