(Photo Courtesy of Rutgers Athletics)
The Johns Hopkins Blue Jays won the final 33 minutes of the contest, 5-3, as the Blue Jay defense was able to clamp down and hold the Rutgers’ offense as best they could and hold the Rutgers offense to just 11 shots in the second half of play. But it wouldn’t be enough as the Scarlet Knights came away from Sunday’s game with the 12-7 victory.
The win pushed Rutgers to 10-1 (2-0 B1G) on the season, marking the program’s fastest ride to double-digit wins.
Rutgers opened the game with a three-goal run over the first seven minutes of the contest to take the early lead and push ahead 4-2 heading into the second quarter of play. Ronan Jacoby had two of those opening-quarter goals and also dished out an assist, highlighting the early action for the Scarlet Knights.
In the second quarter, Rutgers broke things open even more as they scored five unanswered from the 13:12 mark through the 4:28 mark in the frame to extend their lead to 9-2. Much of that second-quarter success for the Scarlet Knights can be attributed to the ride and their transition NASCAR offense.
The Scarlet Knights held the Blue Jays to a 1-of-5 mark in the clearing game during that second frame and caused two of their six turnovers that quarter alone, both coming on the ride. Hopkins ended the game with 20 turnovers to Rutgers’ 21, however half of the Blue Jays’ (10) were caused.
Hopkins went a perfect 14-of-14 in the other three quarters of play in the clearing game.
A pair of goals from Jonathan Peshko and Dylan Bauer, who got the first start of his career at attack in place of an inactive Joey Epstein, late in the first half gave the Blue Jays some life and cut the Rutgers lead to 9-4 at break.
Connor DeSimone, Garrett Degonon, and Jack Keogh each scored in the third quarter to pull Hopkins with four, 11-7, of the Scarlet Knights heading into the final stanza. However, after a frame in which the Blue Jays held Rutgers to just two goals, the script would flip.
Rutgers, anchored by a seven-save performance from Colin Kirst and led by a strong outing from SSDM Zackary Frankowiak (1G/3GB/3CT), held the Blue Jays scoreless in the fourth quarter. Hopkins put 10 of their shots on cage during that final frame, but Kirst was there each time.
Shane Knobloch led Rutgers with three goals and two assists for five points while Ronan Jacoby put up four points (2G/2A).
Jack Keogh had two goals to lead the Blue Jays offense. Matt Narewski won the battle at the faceoff dot, going 14-for-23 (60%). Josh Kirson made seven saves.
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