March 12, 2005

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD -- Johns Hopkins junior midfielder Joe Benson (Baltimore, MD/McDonogh) scored a career-high three goals and added one assist and the Blue Jays won 18-of-20 faceoffs to fuel an 11-5 victory over visiting Hofstra Saturday afternoon. The win, the 29th straight for Hopkins at Homewood Field, improves the Blue Jays' record to 3-0, while Hofstra slips to 0-3.

The Blue Jays led 2-1 midway through the second quarter before Benson had a hand in three straight goals to stake Hopkins to a 5-2 lead. His first goal of the season at the 8:47 mark came off an assist from junior Greg Peyser (Lloyd Harbor, NY/Cold Spring Harbor), but was answered 94 seconds later by a Brett Moyer (Ridley Park, PA/Ridley) goal to make it 3-2. Benson tallied an unassisted goal 42 seconds later when he grabbed a loose rebound in front and beat Hofstra goalie Matt Southard (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin). The scoring flurry continued 50 seconds later when Benson returned the favor and assisted on a Peyser goal that made it 5-2. Hofstra's Tim Treubig (Farmingdale, NY/Farmingdale) made it a two-goal game at the half when he scored an unassisted goal with 2:12 remaining in the second quarter.

The teams traded the first four goals of the second half as Hopkins' Kyle Barrie (Narberth, PA/The Haverford School) and Kyle Harrison (Baltimore, MD/Friends) scored unassisted goals in the first five minutes to push the lead to 7-3, only to have Treubig and John Keysor (Setauket, NY/Ward Melville) score back-to-back goals for the Pride to make it 7-5 at the end of the third quarter.

Hopkins erased any doubt about the final outcome with four goals in the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter. Peyser ripped a shot past Southard off an assist from Harrison less than two minutes into the period, while Benson capped his career day with an extra-man goal that was assisted by freshman Paul Rabil (Gaithersburg, MD/DeMatha) less than two minutes later. Freshmen Stephen Peyser (Lloyd Harbor, NY/Cold Spring Harbor) and Kevin Huntley (Towson, MD/Calvert Hall) both scored midway through the period for the Blue Jays to account for the final scoring.

In addition to the advantage on the scoreboard, the Blue Jays controlled virtually every other statistical category as well. Senior Lou Braun (Upper Arlington, OH/Upper Arlington) won a career-high 13 faceoffs on 15 attempts to lead a faceoff contingent that won 18-of-20 for the Blue Jays. Hopkins held a 34-20 shot advantage and also held a 34-20 advantage in ground balls.

Benson's three goals and four points are both career highs, while Greg Peyser followed up his career-best four-goal effort in Tuesday's win over UMBC with a two-goal, one-assist showing. Barrie added two goals and Harrison chipped in with a goal and an assist to lead the way for Hopkins, which has allowed just 17 goals through three games. The 17 goals allowed are the fewest in the first three games of a season for Hopkins since 1985, when JHU allowed just 16 in the first three games.

Treubig was the only multi-point getter for the Pride as he had the two goals and one assist. Southard kept the Pride in the game with some solid play in goal as he registered 10 saves, all of which came in the first three quarters.

Johns Hopkins will next be in action on Friday night when the Blue Jays travel to Syracuse to play the Orange. Hofstra will host North Carolina on Wednesday night.

Hofstra (0-3) 0-3-2-0/5

#1 Johns Hopkins (3-0) 2-3-2-4/11

Goals: H: Treubig-2, Keysor, Ianucci, Moyer. J: Benson-3, G. Peyser-2, Barrie-2, Harrison, Huntley, S. Peyser, LeSueur. Assists: H: Bonaguro, Orsen, Treubig. J: Benson, Harrison, Koesterer, G. Peyser, Rabil. Saves: H: Southard-10. J: Schwarztman-6. EMO: H: 0-for-1. J: 1-for-3. Attendance: 1,204

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