Baltimore, MD – Johns Hopkins University scored the only goal of Saturday night's non-conference men's soccer game in the 66
th minute and held off Keystone the rest of the way for a 1-0 victory in the final game of the Blue Jay Invitational. Johns Hopkins improves to 2-1 on the season after winning both games of their tournament while the Giants slip to 2-1 after suffering their first setback of the year.
Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the first half, with Johns Hopkins holding a 6-3 advantage in shots over the opening 45 minutes of play. Keystone goalkeeper
Adam Zbiciak (Saint Johns, MI/St. Johns) made two saves in the first stanza to keep the game scoreless.
Djavan Guy (New York, NY/St. John's Prep) nearly put the Giants ahead in the 50
th minute, ripping a shot from 20 yards out the Johns Hopkins' goalkeeper Bryan See made a nice diving save on.
The Blue Jays broke the deadlock in the 66
th minute when Gerrit Church served a ball from the center of the field to Hayden Helm, who beat Zbiciak for what would prove to be the only goal of the game. The tally was the first Keystone conceded on the season, snapping the Giants' shutout streak at 245:28.
Keystone applied strong pressure after Helm's goal in search of the equalizer, but
Eddy Enowbi (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) headed a shot just wide in the 73
rd minute and a long-range rocket off the foot of
Abreham Kittel (Trumansburg, NY/Charles O. Dickerson) in the 88
th minute was handled by See as the Blue Jays held on for the victory.
Johns Hopkins finished the contest with an 11-9 edge in shots including a 6-2 advantage in shots on goal. Keystone held the upper hand in corner kicks, generating six end-line opportunities to just two for the Blue Jays.
See earned the shutout victory by making two saves while Zbiciak suffered the loss despite turning as five shots on the evening.
Keystone will look to get back into the win column next Saturday when they host Mount Aloysius College in a non-conference game starting at 4:00 p.m. on the turf field in La Plume.