Repeat Bid Falls Short as Johns Hopkins Defeats Swarthmore 1-0
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Johns Hopkins' John Scheuch scored just his second goal of the season in the 34th minute and the Blue Jay defense held the powerful Swarthmore offense scoreless for just the second time this season, as No. 3 seed Hopkins avenged last year's Centennial Championship game loss with a 1-0 upset victory over the No. 2 seed Garnet on Friday night from Varsity Field at Muhlenberg College. With the win, the Blue Jays advance to Saturday night's Centennial Conference championship game against the winner of the No.1 Muhlenberg/No. 4 Dickinson semifinal, while dashing the Garnet's hopes of a repeat conference championship.
The Swarthmore wall defends a Hopkins free kick in the first half of the Centennial Conference semifinal.
Junior captain Zach Weimar made fours saves in net for the Garnet (14-2-2), including two in the final minutes of play to keep the Garnet in the game. Junior Gage Newman also played exceptional defense for Swat, blocking a first-half Hopkins' shot on an open net.
The Garnet and Blue Jays have been the Centennial's top two soccer programs over the past few seasons - winning every conference championship since 2006 - and Friday's semifinal was just the latest chapter in the series of great games between the programs.
After sophomore Fabian Castro nearly gave Swarthmore the early lead in the 25th minute on a shot that was saved by Johns Hopkins goalkeeper Ravi Gill from his knees, the Blue Jays' offense regrouped to beat the stingy Garnet defense that had only allowed 10 goals for the season up to that point. In the 33rd minute, Hopkins junior Evan Kleinberg dribbled through three Swarthmore defenders on the left wing, crossed to an unmarked Scheuch on the right wing who converted for just his second goal of the season to give Hopkins a 1-0 lead.
In the second half, the Garnet offense tried to even the score while fighting off a Hopkins attack that registered 11 second-half shots. Thanks to Weimar and the backline, the Blue Jays would not find the net again - but neither would the Garnet.
Swarthmore's best chances came in the final 10 minutes of the play. With championship dreams ticking away by the second, the Garnet pushed everyone forward and almost found the equalizer. In the 80th minute, senior captain Dylan Langley got off a great bending shot from the top of the box, but it sailed just high of the goal and over the crossbar. Then in the 85th minute, sophomore David Sterngold blasted an open shot from the 18 that drilled off the crossbar and into the feet of a Hopkins defender. The Garnet would continue to push for the final five minutes but it would be to no avail, as the Blue Jays held on for the 1-0 win.
Hopkins finished with a 15-10 edge in shots and 4-2 advantage in shots on goal.
The Garnet will now await word from the NCAA about a possible at-large spot into the Division III tournament, which will be announced on Sunday evening.