BALTIMORE- Second-ranked Johns Hopkins (6-0) held
UMBC (2-3) scoreless for over 25 minutes in the middle stages of
the game and defeated the Retrievers, 12-5, in the final game of
the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic at M&T Bank Stadium.
Junior attackman Scott Jones (Port
Coquitlam, B.C.) scored three fourth-quarter goals to record his
sixth career hat trick and second of the season. Classmate and
linemate Joe Lustgarten
(Wading River, N.Y.) contributed three assists, while junior
goalkeeper Adam
Cohen continued his outstanding play, making 12 saves in the
UMBC cage.
But UMBC, which was coming off the emotional 8-7 win over No. 4
Maryland four days ago, struggled in the clearing game, failing on
10 of 19 opportunities and committing 19 turnovers.
The Blue Jays capitalized on UMBC errors to build a 6-2 halftime
lead. Hopkins opened the scoring at the 4:28 mark of the first
half, but the Retrievers drew even when sophomore Zach Linkous
(Jarrettsville, Md./St. Paul) blasted a Lustgarten feed in just off
the far left post on a man-up opportunity at the 6:33 mark.
Hopkins led, 2-1, after one quarter and added onto that
advantage just 2:05 into the second quarter on a Brandon Benn goal
from right in front. Linkous then drew a two-minute penalty on an
attempted Retriever clear and junior Scott Hopmann's
(Annapolis, Md./St. Mary's) shot from the left wing was initially
stopped by Bassett, but he mishandled the ball and it crossed the
goal line to bring UMBC to within 3-2.
The Jays closed the first half scoring with three unanswered
goals in the final 6:39 to take a four-goal advantage
into the break.
After 11:29 of scoreless lacrosse in the third quarter, Hopkins
scored their seventh goal and outscored the Retrievers, 4-0, in the
stanza to lead 10-2 after three.
Jones snapped a scoring drought of 25:47, when he scored for the
sixth consecutive game this season just 34 seconds into the fourth
quarter. He added two more scores in the fourth quarter
and took over the goal-scoring leadership of the club with 12.
Hopkins outshot UMBC, 39-31, and scored on both of its extra-man
opportunities, the first two man-down goals the Retrievers have
allowed this season. Face-offs were even at 11-all.
The Retrievers have two weeks off before they take on another
formidable squad. The Loyola Greyhounds visit UMBC Stadium on Sat.,
March 24 at 7:00 p.m.
