The Muhlenberg men's soccer team's 2-1 victory over Johns Hopkins had historical and immediate implications.

The history is that this was the first time the Mules had beaten Johns Hopkins in Baltimore since 1946 (their only other road win over the Blue Jays). The immediate importance is that the Mules clinched a berth in the Centennial Conference playoffs after missing the playoffs the last two seasons.

The Mules (10-1-2, 5-1-1) made the most of their offensive chances in the crucial win, scoring on both of their shots on goal in the game. Defensively the Mules kept the Blue Jays (8-5-2, 2-4-1) from getting quality shots. Johns Hopkins had 25 total shots, but only four were on goal.

"We always focus on keeping our shape," said senior captain Bryan Attanasio. "We stuck to our game plan and just played our game."

The Mules were playing their game right out of the gate. Senior captain Lance Dotzman took a pass from Jack Dusing (right) off of a free kick and sent it home from inside the box just 1:44 into the game. Later in the first half, senior Travis Wantchekon made a run down the left side and netted one towards the far post, giving the Mules a 2-0 lead.

Muhlenberg took the lead into halftime, and held tough despite the array of shots the Blue Jays were launching. The Mules did concede a late goal, but hung on to notch the 2-1 win.

"As long as there is time on the clock, we won't stop fighting," said Attanasio.

Senior keeper Danny Pinto made three saves in the victory, including a diving save on a free kick early in the second half. Pinto and the Mules have given up a goal or less in all but two matches this season and own an impressive 0.69 goals-against average.

"The win says a lot about our team," said Attanasio. "We never give up, and it is great to get a win like this away from home."

Winning at Hopkins is a good omen for the Mules. When they beat the Blue Jays in Baltimore in 1946, the Mules went on to win their first-ever conference championship.