Johns Hopkins University Men’s Soccer defeated Muhlenberg 2-1 in the Centennial Conference semifinals on Nov. 6 at Homewood Field in Baltimore. Alex Gardner scored both goals for Johns Hopkins, which improved to 12-4-2 and advanced to the conference championship game.
Johns Hopkins took a 2-0 lead into halftime after scoring twice within a seven-minute span late in the first half. Muhlenberg’s Jake Marks scored in the second half, but Johns Hopkins held on to reach the championship game for the fifth consecutive year and the 13th time overall.
Alex Gardner Scores Twice for Johns Hopkins
Gardner opened the scoring with 9:49 remaining in the first half. Brendan Listzwan and Rohan Aggarwal assisted on the goal, which gave Johns Hopkins a 1-0 lead.
Gardner scored again seven minutes later, with Aggarwal recording his second assist of the semifinal. Aggarwal tied the program record for assists in a Centennial Conference Tournament game, while Gardner tied the program record for goals in a Centennial Conference Tournament game.
The performance marked the third time in Johns Hopkins men’s soccer history that one player scored twice and another player recorded two assists.
Johns Hopkins Holds Off Muhlenberg
Muhlenberg cut the deficit to 2-1 when Marks scored in the second half. Johns Hopkins withstood a flurry of shots during the final 20 minutes to preserve the one-goal advantage.
Muhlenberg finished with an 11-10 edge in shots, while Johns Hopkins held a 4-2 advantage in corners. Johns Hopkins goalkeeper John Ghanem and Muhlenberg goalkeeper Nico Famularo each made one save.
The loss ended Muhlenberg’s season at 7-8-3. The victory was the 249th of Johns Hopkins head coach Craig Appleby’s career.
Johns Hopkins to Face Haverford in Championship Game
Johns Hopkins will play fifth-seeded Haverford in the Centennial Conference championship game on Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. at Homewood Field.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Johns Hopkins secured its championship-game berth by building a two-goal halftime lead through Gardner’s brace. Muhlenberg’s second-half goal made the semifinal a one-goal game, but Johns Hopkins protected the lead and continued its run of five consecutive appearances in the conference championship game.
Source: Original report
