Chapel Hill, North Carolina – The Johns Hopkins Blue Jays were stout defensively, limiting the defending national champion University of North Carolina Tar Heels to just five goals, and left Chapel Hill with a 13-5 win. Offensively, the Jays scored nine goals in the second half and defensively held the Heels to one goal in the first half.
Senior attackman Wilkins Dismuke scored the opening two goals of the game. The first was assisted by sophomore Kyle Marr; the second came three and a half minutes later, assisted by classmate Joe Carlini.
North Carolina would answer when Brian Cannon scored his fourth of the season to cut the lead to 2-1, but that was all the offense the Tar Heels could muster in the first half. Shack Stanwick scored to increase the lead to two before the quarter would close.
Both team would go silent offensively until John Crawley would give the visitors a three-goal lead heading into halftime with his unassisted tally. During the half, Hopkins was able to convert two extra-man situations and go three for six in the contest. The Tar Heels were unable to convert on six opportunities they were presented.
The second half would begin with Carolina getting within two. William Perry would score unassisted one minute into the half. Hopkins would answer with two goals of their own. Defensive midfielder Tal Bruno would score his first of the season, assisted by Stanwick. Then junior midfielder Joel Tinney would score, assisted by freshman attackman Cole Williams.
National championship game hero Chris Cloutier answered five minutes after Tinney’s goal to cut the deficit to 6-3, but again the Blue Jays would answer with two of their own to close the quarter. Tinney found Forry Smith for the first, the second coming unassisted by Crawley.
Entering the fourth, midfielder Stephen Kelly would score off the opening draw, but Hopkins would answer with a five-goal run of their own to create the largest deficit the Tar Heels have faced this season.
Patrick Fraser would score, assisted by Marr, on an extra man opportunity. This was followed 40 seconds later by Kieran Eissler’s third goal of the season. Crawley and Tinney would account for the next three.
First Crawley would complete his hattrick with his third unassisted tally. Tinney would score following, also unassisted. The two teamed up for the fifth goal of the run when Tinney found Crawley with 5:44 remaining in the contest.
North Carolina would get their only multi-goal scorer of the game when Cloutier would get his second goal, with 2:20 remaining.
Carolina had a decisive advantage in face-offs, as Kelly won 66% of the draws taken in the game. Hopkins Gerald Logan, a fifth-year transfer from Michigan, held an advantage in saves in the win, accumulating 16. He gave way to Brock Turnbaugh late in the contest. Brian Balkam made 8 saves in 54:16 of game time before giving way to freshman Jack Pezzulla.
Hopkins will next face a familiar combatant in Princeton University, the team which they started many seasons against. UNC will travel to the University of Denver in one week for their annual clash against the Pioneers.
