Johns Hopkins and Haverford will square off for the Centennial Conference men's soccer championship for the first time ever on Sunday after both teams posted semifinal victories on Friday night. Hopkins edged Muhlenberg 2-1 while Haverford stormed past Dickinson 5-0.
Sunday's matchup will take place in Baltimore, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. Despite a combined 18 title game appearances prior to this season (Hopkins 12, Haverford 6) in the 24-year history of the CC postseason tournament, the Blue Jays and Fords have never faced each other in the championship round.
In Carlisle, Pa., fifth-seeded Haverford (15-3-2) rolled past second-seeded Dickinson (9-8-2) by a score of 5-0 at Miller Memorial Field, tied for the second-most goals in a single game in CC Tournament history. The Fords advanced to the championship match for the first time since 2018.
Thomas Vanni led the offensive outburst with two goals and an assist, while Josh Brown added a goal and an assist as the Fords secured their second consecutive road victory in the conference tournament. Charles Sharp and Jonathan D'Amour also found the back of the net in the victory.
In Baltimore, Md., Alex Gardner scored a brace to lead top-seeded Johns Hopkins to a 2-1 win over Muhlenberg in the Centennial Conference semifinals Friday night at Homewood Field. The Blue Jays improve to 12-4-2 while the Mules end their season at 7-8-3.
Gardner scored both goals in the first half in the 36th and 43rd minutes. Muhlenberg cut the deficit in half in the 57th minute when Jake Marks got a foot on JHU goalkeeper John Ghanem's goal kick and then fired a low shot inside the left post. The Blue Jays withstood a flurry of shots in the final 20 minutes as the defense made the 2-1 lead stand to send Hopkins back to the championship game.
Hopkins advances to the Centennial Conference championship game for the fifth straight year and 13th time overall.
FIRST ROUND: Tuesday, Nov. 3 | at #3 & #4 seeds
#6 Muhlenberg d. #3 Swarthmore, 4-2 | Box Score
#5 Haverford d. #4 Ursinus, 2-1 | Box Score
SEMIFINALS: Friday, Nov. 6 | at #1 & #2 seeds
#5 Haverford d. #2 Dickinson, 5-0 | Box Score
#1 Johns Hopkins d. #6 Muhlenberg, 2-1 | Box Score
CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, Nov. 8 | Baltimore, Md.
#5 Haverford at #1 Johns Hopkins, 3 p.m. | TICKETS
