Johns Hopkins Men's Soccer Weekly Notes :: Blue Jays Ranked #1 in the Middle Atlantic, #9 in the Nation

Johns Hopkins Men's Soccer Weekly Notes

Blue Jays Ranked #1 in the Middle Atlantic, #9 in the Nation

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Junior Max Venker had a goal and an assist in Saturday's win at Ursinus.

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Oct. 21, 2008

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A Look Back: For the second straight week, Johns Hopkins played just one game as the 17th-ranked Blue Jays traveled to Collegeville, PA to take on the Bears of Ursinus. Hopkins scored three goals in just under 16 minutes en route to a 3-1 win. Sophomore forward David Drake scored two goals while junior midfielder Max Venker netted a goal and an assist.Junior goalie Matt Mierley was credited with three saves in the win, including one on a Bears’ penalty kick.

The Week Ahead: Once again, Hopkins has just one game this week as Franklin & Marshall visits Homewood Field on Saturday afternoon. It is the Blue Jays first home game since October 4. The Blue Jays and the Diplomats have met 59 times in a series that dates back to 1947. Hopkins leads the series 36-20-3, though Franklin & Marshall won last year’s meeting 2-1 in overtime. In fact, the last three meetings between the Blue Jays and the Diplomats have gone to overtime. Last year’s loss in Lancaster to F&M was Hopkins first since 1993.

I’m Honored: Sophomore forward David Drake was named the Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after scoring two goals, including the game-winner, in Hopkins 3-1 win at Dickinson on Saturday. It is the second such honor in his career.

At the Helm: Head coach Craig Appleby is in his first season at Johns Hopkins and carries an 11-2-2 record with the Blue Jays. Appleby came to JHU after spending six seasons as the head coach of Emory & Henry.

Twenty-One: Head coach Craig Appleby boasts an 11-2-2 (.800) record through his first 15 games. He is the first coach since 1987 and just the second ever to boast a win percentage of .750 or better through their first 15 games as head coach.

Welcome Back David: Sophomore forward David Drake missed six games earlier this season due to injury. He returned to action on Sept. 24 at Neumann but did not return to the starting line-up until Oct. 4 against Muhlenberg. After tallying just one assist prior to his injury, Drake has four goals in his last four games.

The Clincher: Johns Hopkins can clinch its eighth Centennial Conference Tournament appearance with a tie this weekend against sixth-place Franklin & Marshall. The Blue Jays are just one of two teams in the conference that have appeared in all seven previous Centennial Tournaments.

On the Move: Senior Nick Gauna enters Saturday’s game with 80 career points, ranking him eighth all-time in school history. In addition, he is tied for 11th with 27 career goals and fourth with 26 career assists. In Centennial Conference history, he is tied for ninth in career assists and 23rd in career points.

Scott Bukoski is also making his mark on the record book. The sophomore already ranks in the top-15 in career points and goals. He ranks 13th with 69 points and tied for eighth with 29 goals. Last season, he became just the fifth player in program history to score 20 or more goals in one season.

In the Ranks: Johns Hopkins took a big leap in the NSCAA National Top 25 this week after a 3-1 win at Ursinus. The Blue Jays jumped eight sports from #17 to #9. JHU also jumped from #3 to #1 in the Middle Atlantic region this week. Its the first time since Nov. 9, 2004 that the Blue Jays are the #1 team in the Middle Atlantic.

Home Sweet Home: Historic Homewood Field has been the definition of home field advantage for the Blue Jays, especially in Centennial Conference play. Since the inception of the conference in 1993, Hopkins is 52-3-3 (.922) at home in regular season conference games. In the Centennial Conference Tournament, the Blue Jays are 4-1-3 (.687) at home.

Atop the Standings: Johns Hopkins sits alone atop the Centennial Conference standings with 16 points and a 5-0-1 record. JHU is just one point ahead of second-place Swarthmore (5-1-0, 15 pts) and four points ahead of third-place Dickinson.

Leading the Way: Sophomore forward Scott Bukoski continues to lead the Centennial Conference in six of the nine offensive categories, including points (23), goals (9) and game-winning goals (4). Hopkins leads the Centennial Conference in all six team offensive categories, including points (98), goals (36) and assists (26).

Preseason Favorite: The Blue Jays were favored to win their eighth Centennial Conference title in the 2008 Centennial Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. Hopkins picked up 77 points with seven first-place votes. The Blue Jays have been the preseason favorite for six straight years, dating back to the 2003 preseason coaches poll.