Box Score | Photo Gallery (David Sinclair)

BALTIMORE, Md. – Gettysburg College turned in its best opening half of the season, jumping out to a three-goal lead and the Bullets held off a second-half rally to knock off nationally-ranked Johns Hopkins University for the second-straight season 3-2 in Centennial Conference men's soccer action Wednesday night.

Gettysburg (8-6-2, 4-4-0 CC) kept its playoff hopes alive and in the process, hurt Johns Hopkins' (12-3-2, 5-2-1 CC), ranked 18th in the latest National Soccer Coaches of America Association (NSCAA) poll, bid for home-field advantage in the Centennial Conference Tournament slated for next weekend. The Bullets trail fifth-place Franklin & Marshall College by just one point in the conference standings, but a victory by the Diplomats at Ursinus College on Thursday would end any chance at a postseason berth.

After upsetting then-10th-ranked Johns Hopkins 3-1 in the regular season last fall, Gettysburg put on a show in the first half of Wednesday's affair, more than doubling the Blue Jays' shot attempts (13-6) and forcing five corner kicks. It was following a pair of corners that the Bullets finally cracked the scoring column as a foul in the box led to a penalty kick. Senior defender Drew Erickson (Overland Park, Kan./Friends Central School (Pa.)) stepped up and blasted his first career score to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage at 32:24.

Less than four minutes later, Gettysburg tacked on another score as freshman Ben Tabor (Kinnelon, N.J./Kinnelon) dished a pass from the right sideline to the far post for a header conversion by senior Geoff Menge (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West), marking his fifth goal of the season.

The Bullets added one more tally just before the end of the half, this time with Tabor heading in a pass from junior Teddy Smith (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) in the 44th minute. It was Tabor's fourth goal of 2009.

Freshman Mike Walmer (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) stopped two shots in the opening half and added another in the 49th minute. His luck ran out in the 56th minute, however, as a shot by Chris Wilson off a free-kick pass found its way to the back of the net. Walmer was injured in the play and fellow first-year Jamie Hahn (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield) entered the match in relief.

The Blue Jays went right back on the offensive and put another shot on goal in the 58th minute, but freshman Thomas Siekmann (Washington Crossing, Pa./Council Rock North) made a huge play by knocking the ball away and preserving the two-goal lead.

Hahn stepped up and made three saves over the course of the next 10 minutes until Johns Hopkins turned to their leading scorer, Scott Bukoski. Bukoski lit the lamp for his fourth career score against the Bullets in the 67th minute, converting a pair of quick passes from Nate Wyski and Kevin Hueber.

The Blue Jays went for the equalizer just five minutes later, but once again a Bullet defender was there to make a big play as sophomore Tyler Cook (Schwenksville, Pa./Malvern Prep) knocked away a would-be goal.

Johns Hopkins fired four more shots over the course of the final 15 minutes with the only attempt on goal by Chand Balfour turned away by Hahn at the start of the 84th minute.

The Blue Jays' second-half spurt led to a 21-16 advantage in shots and a 6-5 lead in corner kicks. Gettysburg's defense stepped up the plate, however, totaling nine saves.

Menge led Gettysburg with six shots and sophomore Eric Hynes (Far Hills, N.J./Pingry School) added three. Balfour led Hopkins with five shots.

Gettysburg has one more match remaining in the regular season. The Bullets play at McDaniel College on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 3:30 p.m.