Win over Utah a step forward, but Hopkins still has plenty of work to do
No. 16 Johns Hopkins men’s lacrosse got where it wanted to go Saturday, but the Blue Jays are still far away from being a postseason contender. Johns Hopkins scored five straight goals spanning the second and fourth quarters to secure a 12-8 win over visiting Utah on Saturday before an announced 872 at Homewood Field.
Attackmen Brendan Grimes and Ian Krampf and midfielder Matt Collison each scored three goals for the Blue Jays (3-2), while attackmen Jordan Hyde and Ryan Stines each had two goals for the Utes (1-3).
Johns Hopkins, though, is still a team in search of itself.
The Blue Jays struggled early and led only 6-5 at the half, but they got better in the final two quarters — especially in the fourth — with some precise shooting and passing.
Johns Hopkins showed some potential by moving the ball on fourth-quarter goals by Grimes, attackman Jacob Angelus and midfielder Ryan Evans, but the Blue Jays lack consistency. Not just game to game, but half to half.
They lack the big-name, go-to players who can break down a defense or beat the opposition one-on-one.
There are no offensive players on the level of former Johns Hopkins greats like midfielders Kyle Harrison and Paul Rabil, and no defensive player is even close to former Blue Jays standout Dave Pietramala.
So this team has to win with maximum effort and grit, and I’m not sure if they have enough of it on the current roster. Johns Hopkins turned in the early shocker of the season when it stunned then-No. 3 Georgetown, 13-12, in Week 2. But since then, the
Blue Jays have lost to then-No. 19 North Carolina, 11-7, and then-No. 11 Loyola, 13-8.
Saturday’s win at least gave the Blue Jays a chance to catch their collective breath. They have been hit hard by injuries. Top attackman Russell Melendez and Angelus missed the Loyola game before returning Saturday, but Johns Hopkins was without starting goalie Tim Marcille (.578 save percentage) and attackman Garrett Degnon (seven goals).
Marcille’s replacement, Gib Versfeld, played well and finished with 15 saves, eight of which came in the third quarter when the Blue Jays were outshot 15-6. Angelus had three assists and Melendez finished with two. Both Marcille and Degnon are expected to play soon, but the problem for Johns Hopkins coach Peter Milliman is getting his full team on the field to develop chemistry.
Despite finishing 10-4 last season, Utah wasn’t expected to be much of a problem for the Blue Jays. The Utes are only in their fifth year of playing college lacrosse while Johns Hopkins is in Year 136. Utah’s roster is composed of players from all over the country, but few are from recruiting hotbeds like Maryland and New York.
The Utes still hung with Johns Hopkins. They outshot the Blue Jays 45-33, won 12 of 24 faceoffs and got a good effort from goalie Colin Lenskold, who had 14 saves. But the biggest difference was that Johns Hopkins converted on 3 of 4 extra-man opportunities and Utah went 0-for-2.
That’s comforting in a sense. Extra-man goals by midfielder Johnathan Peshko, Grimes and Collison showed good ball movement and patience. The Blue Jays are going to need that. Defensively, with Alex Mazzone, Scott Smith and Marcille, they have enough talent to at least be competitive against most teams.
But the offense is a work in progress. The Blue Jays took a step forward Saturday, but they have plenty of work to do.