Johns Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala couldn't relax until the final whistle. Season-opening games always create anxiety, and there is even more tension when you are the defending national champion.

But No. 1 Hopkins started the 2008 season yesterday the way it ended 2007. The Blue Jays scored three unanswered goals in the final 11:29 to pull away for a 10-5 win against No. 12 Albany in the season opener for both teams at Homewood Field.

Pietramala and his players were nervous entering the game because the Blue Jays had struggled in practices and scrimmages during the preseason. Also, when the Blue Jays won the title in 2005, they slipped to 9-5 the next season.

But after senior attackman Kevin Huntley paced the Blue Jays with four goals, the defense turned in a good effort and Pietramala received solid play from first-year starting goalie Michael Gvozden, Pietramala was ready to put last season behind him.

"It's hard to get a team ready the year after," Pietramala said. "You come back concerned about what happened in 2006, and will it happen again. At times, you're so guarded and say you're not going to be ready. I don't know if I gave them [the players] a chance to be ready or not.

"Just when you thought you were through with last season, that's all people wanted to talk about again this week," Pietramala said. "Overall, we took some good first steps, and hopefully, this allows us to put last year behind us."

Pietramala had been concerned about his defense, but the group was good yesterday. At one point, starters Eric Zerrlaut, Michael Evans and Matt Bocklet held Albany without a goal for 27:03.

The Blue Jays didn't allow Albany standout attackman Corey Small a goal, and he had just one assist. The defense made it a fairly easy day for Gvozden, a sophomore out of Severna Park making his first college start.

Gvozden finished with 11 saves.

"It feels good to get one under my belt," Gvozden said. "I thought our defense played a phenomenal game, and they made it easy for me to ease into the game. They forced a lot of low-percentage shots. It felt good to get one, especially since it wasn't a nail-biter."

The Great Danes tried to make it a close game. They pulled within 7-5 on a goal by midfielder Mike Ammann with 12:10 left in the game, the second Albany goal within 38 seconds.

But Huntley scored on a 20-footer from the right of the goal with 11:29 remaining, and after teammate and midfielder Stephen Peyser hit a long-range shot a few minutes later, Huntley closed the scoring with another goal with 4:44 left.

"Kevin had success today because he worked his butt off in the offseason," Pietramala said. "After practices, he would ride the bike, run extra or shoot extra. He now does the things he didn't do in the past. He carried us out there at times when he had to."

mike.preston@baltsun.com

Albany 2 0 1 2 - 5

Johns Hopkins 3 1 3 3 - 10

Goals: A-Levine 2, M. Ammann 1, S. Ammann 1, Pomp 1. J-Huntley 4, Boyle 2, Doneger 2, Rabil 1, Peyser 1. Assists: A-Small 1. J-Boyle 1, Bryan 1, Christopher 1, Huntley 1, Kimmel 1. Saves: A-Queener 6, McKeon 0. J-Gvozden 11.