The Cavaliers battled the Blue Jays from Johns Hopkins University Wednesday, Sept. 17, resulting in a 2-2 tie.
Johns Hopkins University was one of Cabrini’s toughest competitors and a pre-season favorite going into the game.
There was a struggle to score for both teams in the first period. Johns Hopkins offense was strong but Cabrini fought hard and kept the game at 0-0 throughout the whole first period. Freshman Tyler Harvey was taken out of the game because of an injury shortly into the first half.
“There were a few moments in the beginning where we looked a little tense since this was the best team we were going to play all year,” senior marketing major Mike McDevitt said.
At the end of the first half, the Hopkin’s offense had 10 shots on Cabrini’s goalie, played by junior and captain Bryan Johnson. Johnson saved all the shots on goal, keeping the score of the game 0-0.
“I can’t harp on the offense, because I feel like they converted on the chances they got. But as for being a defender, and working in the back, I think the biggest thing we have to work on is chemistry among the defenders and communication,” sophomore marketing major Troy Allen said.
Mike McDevitt began the second half of the game with a goal off of a free kick by Allen making the score of the game 1-0 Cavaliers.
Hopkins tallied with a goal by Akash Naik and tied the game with a score of 1-1.
“The main challenge that we had to face was dealing with their overall team speed along with their very strong play in the middle; but we did a good job of keeping the middle clogged up,” McDevitt said.
With 25 minutes remaining in the second period, Scott Bukoski of Johns Hopkins scored a goal, putting Hopkins in the lead with a score of 2-1.
Cabrini freshman Eric Collins responded with a goal, tying the game yet again, as the second period was wrapping up. With a 2-2 tie, the Cavaliers and Blue Jays went into overtime.
After the first 10-minute overtime, neither teams scored, bringing the game into a second overtime. Johnson, the goalie for the Cavaliers, made a great save at the five-minute mark keeping the game tied.
“We were down one of our key defenders and we managed to work together to pull off a tie,” Mike Kroener, junior marketing major, said. “Better communication will help us next game.”