The Blue Jays are back.

If there were still doubters remaining after Johns Hopkins’ convincing win over Maryland last week, they will be hard to find after the 10th-ranked Blue Jays’ 12-5 win over eighth-ranked Navy in Annapolis on Saturday.

One of the biggest reasons for the turnaround has been the improved play of sophomore goalie Michael Gvozden. After stopping 13 shots and allowing just four goals against Maryland, Gvozden helped shut down the eighth-ranked Midshipmen (9-4) by making 16 saves and allowing just four goals in front of a crowd of 16,042 — the second-largest to watch a lacrosse game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. It also was the Blue Jays’ 34th straight victory over Navy dating to 1974.

“He’s steadily improving,” Johns Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala said. “His confidence is steadily growing.”

It’s been an impressive two weeks for Gvozden, a former standout at Severna Park High, and the rest of the defense after the unit allowed 13 goals per game during the Blue Jays’ five-game losing streak. Gvozden’s save percentage was 49.7 heading into the game against Maryland, but in the past two games, he has saved 78.4 percent of the shots he’s faced.

 “They were forcing 15-yard shots all day, so that makes my job a lot easier,” Gvozden said. “So, my goal was to play as relaxed as I could this game and to watch the ball and the whole time and don’t let my eye leave the ball. But the credit goes to the defense.”

Senior attacker Kevin Huntley led the way offensively for Johns Hopkins (5-5), recording a hat trick and adding an assist against a Navy defense that entered the game allowing just 5.25 goals per game, tops in the nation. Huntley leads the Johns Hopkins with 23 goals and 30 points.

After a brutal six-game stretch during which every opponent they played is currently ranked 12th in the nation or higher, the Blue Jays host Towson (4-8) on Wednesday night at 7 in their first game against an unranked team this season. The Tigers are coming off a 7-4 loss to Villanova.

The Blue Jays are starting to resemble a team that was expected to contend for a second straight national title than the squad that dropped five straight games, its longest losing streak in one season in the team’s 125-year history.

“That was the best team that we’ve played all year,” Navy coach Richie Meade said. “And that’s one of the best teams I’ve seen on film.”

After scoring 12 times against Navy — the most the Midshipmen had allowed since losing, 14-13, to Syracuse in the championship game in 2004 — Johns Hopkins is positioned to make a run at its third title in the past four years. 

“I think we’re all gripping our sticks a little less tight now,” Huntley said. “It seemed like as soon as we won the Maryland game, the weight was lifted off our chest. We stopped worrying about losing and thinking that we had to win.”

avitelli@baltimoreexaminer.com