Sept. 15, 2009
BRIDGEPORT, PA - Johns Hopkins senior Kyle Gertridge (Gunn Prep, CA /Paolo Alto) and freshman Alex Whittam (Hillsborough, CA/Sacred Heart Prep) have been honored by the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) for their play last weekend. Gertridge has been named the Southern Division Co-Player of the Week, while Whittam was named the Southern Division Rookie of the Week.
Hopkins, which began the weekend at Navy against UC-San Diego on September 11 and concluded the a five-games in three-day streak at the Princeton Invitational on the campus of Princeton University, was led by the play of Gertridge in each of the contests. Facing two nationally-ranked opponents and three CWPA Northern Division programs, Gertridge responded with 15 goals, five assists and six steals with five ejections drawn.
Versus UC-San Diego on Friday night, he led the team with two goals, while adding an assist and a steal, as the Tritons escaped with a 9-7 victory over the Blue Jays. He continued his scoring prowess at the Princeton Invitational posting two goals with a pair of steals and an ejection drawn in a victory over Iona College (13-7 W), before exploding for four goals with an assist, a steal and an ejection drawn in a 12-7 win over Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Further, he drew an ejection and punched in three goals for a hat-trick against No. 4 UCLA (14-7 L) as the Bruins managed to pull away in the closing minutes of the fourth-period to stave off a JHU upset bid. Gertridge concluded the weekend by pouring in four goals versus Fordham University (11-8 W), while adding three assists and two steals, as he leads the Blue Jays with 18 goals and 25 points on the season.
Whittam registered 10 goals, four assists, three steals, 10 ejections drawn and three field blocks to lead the Blue Jays to a 3-2 week. It marks Whittam's first accolade from the CWPA in his career, and the first for JHU this season.
Whittam contributed in all five games for Hopkins last week tallying two steals with two ejections drawn against UC-San Diego at Navy, before contributing a hat-trick in the win over Iona while drawing three ejections. Versus MIT, he led the Blue Jays with four goals, two assists, two ejections drawn and a block. He posted a goal and two assists with an ejection drawn and a field block against UCLA before chipping in a goal with a steal, ejection drawn and block against Fordham.
Hopkins returns to action on Friday, September 18 at 11th-ranked Princeton. The match is slated to begin at 7:00 pm in DeNunzio Pool. JHU will then participate in the ECAC Championship on Saturday and Sunday, hosted by Princeton. Hopkins will face Bucknell in the opening round Saturday at 12:45 pm.
