BALTIMORE - The Manhattan College men's lacrosse team opened its 2010 season on Friday afternoon against fifth-ranked Johns Hopkins. The Jaspers (0-1) fell behind early and were never able to recover, as the Blue Jays (1-0) notched a 14-3 victory in front of 1,400 fans at Homewood Field and a national television audience on ESPNU.
Steven Boyle scored just 1:51 into the game for Johns Hopkins and added another goal 5:11 later. The Blue Jays led 3-0 after the first quarter and had a 7-0 advantage at halftime. Boyle tallied his fourth goal of the game 26 seconds into the second half, then scored again a minute later, as Johns Hopkins scored seven third-quarter goals to increase its lead to 14-0.
The Jaspers finally got on the board with 6:47 remaining in the game when Tyler Sabens (Falmouth, Mass.) connected with James Synowiez (Owego, N.Y.), last season's MAAC Offensive Player of the Year. Sabens recorded his own even-strength tally at the 4:42 mark, then Synowiez tallied his second man-up goal of the period with 3:11 left.
Steve Sternberg (Easton, Conn.) led the Jaspers with four ground balls, while Sabens and Max Cabasso (Allenhurst, N.J.) collected three ground balls apiece. Making his first start in goal for Manhattan, junior college transfer Jon Fiorillo (Painted Post, N.Y.) (0-1) made 12 saves.
Boyle finished with six goals and added two assists to complete an eight-point day. Nate Matthews had three goals for the Blue Jays, while National Player of the Year candidate Michael Kimmel also had two points (one goal, one assist). Kyle Wharton and Matt Dolente each grabbed five ground balls, as Johns Hopkins held a 45-24 edge in that category. Mike Gvozden (1-0) played the first 47 minutes in goal and recorded five saves, while Steven Burke made four saves and allowed three goals in 13 minutes of relief.
Manhattan now has a week off before opening its home season with a 1 p.m. showdown against Robert Morris (0-0) on Friday, Feb. 26 at Gaelic Park. The Colonials, who open their 2010 campaign at Penn State on Saturday afternoon, defeated the Jaspers 11-8 last season.