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Johns Hopkins Downs Washington & Jefferson 18-2 as Both Advance to Division III Eastern Title Game
WASHINGTON, Pa. --
A total of 12 different Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays scored
goals as JHU posted an 18-2 victory over Washington & Jefferson
College as both squads advance to the title game of the 2009
Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Men’s
Water Polo Eastern Championship at the Henry Memorial
Natatorium.
JHU (12-13) led 5-1 after one period and extended its lead to 11-1
at halftime before cruising to the victory.
Senior Steve Hilty (Pittsburgh, Pa./North
Allegheny) and freshman Joey Weiland (Pittsburgh,
Pa./North Allegheny) posted the W&J goals, while
senior goalie John Todd (Joppa, Md./Calvert Hall)
had 13 saves for the second-straight match.
W&J (8-8) has an opportunity to avenge the loss on Sunday,
October 25 at 11:30 am when the Presidents host the Blue Jays in
the championship match. Connecticut College and Penn State
University-Erie, The Behrend College play the third-place match at
10:00 am.
Due to the absence of five-time
champion (1991, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2007) Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, this year's Division III Eastern Championship is being
contested in a unique format.
On Saturday, October 24, the teams played a round-robin format
with each of the four programs meeting each other over the course
of the day.
In first round action, Washington & Jefferson defeated Penn State Behrend (11-7 OT W) and Connecticut College (16-11 W) before facing Hopkins, while JHU knocked off Connecticut (23-3 W) and PSU-Behrend (23-2 W) before defeating the Presidents. In the other first round game, Connecticut managed the Behrend Lions 14-9 as the Camels clinched the No. 3 position for tomorrow's No. 3-4 battle for third place.
On Sunday, October 25, the best two
records from the round-robin format, W&J and Hopkins,
will meet for the Division III Eastern Championship at 11:30 a.m.,
while the program's with the third and fourth best marks will meet
at 10:00 a.m. for third place.
Overall, JHU and head coach Ted Bresnahan have
dominated the championship since 1991 taking 11 titles, including
four of the past five, and will seek to record its 12th crown in
2009 while the rest of the field will go for their first.
Of the teams competing this year, only two have reached the title
game as Washington & Jefferson advanced to the tilt in 2007
before falling to host MIT 20-10.
Last year, Hopkins outlasted MIT 20-15 in Baltimore for the 2008
title as the Blue Jays moved to 9-4 against the Engineers in the
championship match. In the third-place match, Penn State Behrend
defeated Washington & Jefferson, 12-9. Washington &
Jefferson then beat Connecticut College, 17-10 in the fourth-place
match.
JHU-Washington & Jefferson release courtesy Washington & Jefferson Athletic Communications
