FOOTBALL: The football team, winners of three straight league titles, earned top spot in the 2012 Centennial Conference Preseason Poll.
Johns Hopkins comes off one of the most successful seasons in school history. In 2011, the Blue Jays posted a 10-1 record, finished top 10 in the nation in Division III, and hosted an NCAA playoff game for the first time.
Despite losing a core group of players to graduation, the team returns one of the top wide receiver tandems in the nation, a preseason All-American along the offensive line, a running back who averaged 6.5 yards per carry, and its top two tacklers from last season. Carrying a 14-game regular season winning streak into the season opener, the Blue Jays look to match the school record for consecutive conference titles: four.
M. SOCCER: The men's team heads into 2012 loaded with question marks—and young talent. The team, which went 10-5-3 en route to the regular season Centennial Conference title and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, notably lost senior stars Corey Adams, Centennial Conference Player of the Year; and Sean Coleman, the team's top scorer and unanimous First Team All-Centennial Conference selection.
This year's team will look to the creative ability of three sophomores, midfielders Matt Carey and Rob Heuler, and Nick Cerrone, the team's starting goalkeeper, who posted eight shutouts and a miserly 0.67 goals against average his freshman year.
W. SOCCER: Head coach Leo Weil was named the NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year after guiding the women's soccer team to one of its most successful and record-setting seasons in program history. The Blue Jays captured a seventh-straight Centennial Conference championship and a trip to the NCAAs with a program-best 21-1 record. The team didn't suffer a loss until the Sweet 16 round of the tournament.
The 2012 squad lost to graduation last year's star, Erica Suter, the team's top scorer and assists leader, who was named to the Division III All-American Team; and Jessica Hnatiuk, the towering center back who spearheaded the team's stingy defense. The Blue Jays will bring back Hannah Kronick, the freshman phenom who scored 19 goals and pitched in 10 assists last year. The ladies were ranked No. 3 in the Division III preseason national poll.
FIELD HOCKEY, VOLLEYBALL, WATER POLO: For season previews, go to hopkinssports.com.
