Sept. 27, 2006
Box Score
BALTIMORE, MD - In another physical battle, the #13 Johns Hopkins men's soccer team (10-1-0, 3-0-0) won its second straight 1-0 match. The Blue Jays defeated the #23 Gettysburg Bullets (7-2-0, 2-1-0) in a battle of Centennial Conference unbeatens at Homewood Field Wednesday night. Hopkins is undefeated in its last 14 games at home (13-0-1) and has won 49 consecutive Centennial Conference games at home. This was the fifth consecutive shutout for Hopkins and seventh on the season.
The Bullets had two chances early but could not capitalize. In just the fifth minute, Brad Tabor got a breakaway and senior goalie Danny Coble (Fremont, CA/Bellarmine College Prep) came charging out of the goal. Coble came all the way out of the penalty box and chested the ball away and out of danger. In the 16th minute, Gettysburg had a free kick about 30 yards out, but Garrett Bruno kicked the ball right in the wall of Hopkins players. On a quick counter attack, sophomore Nicholas Gauna (Evanston, IL/Evantson) had a breakaway, but was pushed off the ball in the box by a Bullets' defender.
Hopkins had several close chances but could not find the back of the net until the 68th minute. In the 66th minute, junior Blaine Phillips (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) ripped a shot from 30 yards out that just skimmed over the crossbar. Just two minutes later, the Blue Jays would finally put one away. Freshman Nick Kosik (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus) dribbled into the box, turned on his defender and played the ball to the right side of the field. Sophomore Malcolm Stewart (Santa Rosa, CA/Montgomery) stepped up and ripped a shot that sailed over Bullets' goalie Adam Finkel's hands and into the net.
Gettysburg never gave up but Coble's solid play in net preserved the shutout for Hopkins. Coble finished with eight saves on the night for his 15th career shutout. Finkel finished with five saves in the loss. The Blue Jays held the edge in corner kicks (5-1) but the Bullets held the edge in shots (12-10).
The win was the 100th Centennial Conference win for Hopkins who is now 100-15-5 (.854). In 14 seasons, the Blue Jays have lost just two conference games at home. Hopkins returns to action on Saturday, September 30 when Dickinson visits Homewood Field for a Centennial Conference match-up. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.
