Sophomore Scores Game-Winner in 2-1 Victory

CHESTERTOWN, Md. -- Sophomore defender Jack Butler (Potomac, Md./Winston Churchill) scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal in the 70th minute as host Washington College recorded its first home victory over long-time rival Johns Hopkins University since 1981 by a 2-1 final tonight on Kibler Field at Roy Kirby, Jr. Stadium. The Shoremen improved to 8-7-1 overall and 2-5-1 in Centennial Conference play with the win, while the Blue Jays fell to 7-7-2 and 4-3-1 with the loss.  

Hopkins took a 1-0 lead at the 20:30 mark when Rob Heuler sent a ball ahead to Kotaro Mitsuhashi, who played the ball across to Kenny DeStefano, who scored from near point-blank range. The Blue Jays held a 9-2 advantage in shots in the first half.

The Shoremen evened the score when junior midfielder Matt Wilfong (Hampstead, Md./North Carroll) converted a penalty kick at 50:37 following a handball in the box by a Blue Jay.  

The sequence leading to Butler's game-winning goal began with junior midfielder Bob Libera (New Providence, N.J./New Providence) gaining a hard-earned corner kick by playing the ball out of bounds off a Johns Hopkins defender.  Freshman midfielder Dimitri Kaliakin (Landenberg, Pa./Salesianum School [Del.]) sent the ensuing corner kick into play and, after neither team could control possession, ended up with the ball again well wide of the goal. Kaliakin then sent a bending shot toward the goal than a Hopkins defender played off the line to keep from going into the goal. The ball scooted back out into the box, however, and Butler sent the ball ricocheting off the far post and into the back of the net for the lead at 69:44.  

The Blue Jays turned the offensive pressure up the rest of the way, but despite numerous possessions deep in the Shoremen's defensive end, the Blue Jays' final shot on goal came at 75:37 off the foot of Gary Lawrence and was saved by junior Lin Robinson (York, Pa./York Country Day). 

Freshman Jon Wendeborn (Lambertville, N.J./South Hunterdon) played the first half in goal for the Shoremen and made four saves while allowing the one goal. Robinson took over in goal at halftime and made five saves en route to his first collegiate victory. Matt Paris made three saves in goal for the Blue Jays, who finished the game with a 17-10 advantage in shots and a 6-5 edge in corner kicks.

Prior to tonight, Washington's last home victory over Johns Hopkins was a 2-0 triumph on Halloween 1981. The Shoremen's most recent win over the Blue Jays of any sort was a 1-0 victory in Baltimore on Halloween 2008, which had been Washington's only win in the series since 1992. 

With the win, the Shoremen also clinched their first .500 or better overall record since going 8-8 in 2006 and finished their 2013 home schedule with a winning record at 5-4-1. 

Tonight's game was originally scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. kick-off, but a scheduling mix-up with the officiating assignors led to a lack of officials for a 1:00 p.m. kick-off. With a women's soccer game scheduled for the field at 4:00 p.m., the start time was pushed back to 7:00 p.m.   

The Shoremen return to action one week from today with their season finale, a 1:00 p.m. Centennial Conference game at 17th-ranked Dickinson.