BALTIMORE --- Here’s a couple things about Johns Hopkins’ lacrosse season that aren’t mutually exclusive.

Its offense has reached double figures in goals in every game but its opener.

Its starting attack, however talented it may be, often hasn’t fit together in ideal fashion.

Perhaps Saturday was the turning point on the latter front.

Joey Epstein, Kyle Marr and Cole Williams combined for 10 goals and five assists as the Blue Jays started fast, then fended off Rutgers 15-13 thanks to a series of timely goals before 3,956 at Homewood Field.

“It’s all about playing within ourselves,” said Epstein, who had five goals and three assists. “Any offensive player that wants the ball is going to try to make plays and when we all play calmly and let the game really come to us, which I think we did a good job of today, I think that’s when we play our best.”

Epstein immediately established himself as Hopkins’ steadiest offensive threat. Marr, who reached the 100-goal plateau for his career Saturday, still has a shot with some zip but added responsibilities in the offense. Williams, an imposing physical presence who delivered his second hat trick of the season, looked far more settled than at most points this spring for the Blue Jays (6-4, 2-0 Big Ten).

Their 15 points was their largest combined output for the season.

“They’re learning to play with each other,” coach Dave Pietramala said. “Kyle’s learning a new role as a leader. Kyle didn’t have to be a leader last year. He had to sit back, catch the ball and throw it in the back of the goal because Shack [Stanwick] took care of that and Joel [Tinney] took care of that. Now, he has to be the voice of reason out there.”

Kieran Mullins had six assists for the Scarlet Knights (6-5, 1-1), who looked little like the team that pounded Ohio State 14-6 to open conference play six days earlier.

That afternoon, Rutgers led 5-1 after a quarter and 7-2 at halftime. Against Hopkins, the Scarlet Knights needed more than 22 minutes to score and trailed 8-3 at the break after yielding two goals in the final 15 seconds of the second quarter.

“Too little too late with the week of practice, and too little too late with the 60-minute game,” coach Brian Brecht said. “I don’t think we practiced with the same edge and disposition as we did last week. We certainly didn’t start out with the same edge and disposition this week. When you play Big Ten games and you play a team well-coached and very talented like Johns Hopkins, you can’t just spot them five goals.”

Actually, the Blue Jays bolted to a 6-0 lead, but the point is the same. In that run, Epstein, Marr and Williams each scored a goal.

When Hopkins repulsed the Scarlet Knights’ push at the end of the first half, it was Epstein and Williams who provided the goals.

And when Rutgers finally closed within two on a couple occasions in the fourth quarter, who had the answers? Epstein (off a Williams feed) and Marr (off a faceoff win).

“I think we’re kind of finding ourselves, which is good,” Williams said. “Joey’s playing real well. He’s making a lot of shots, and Kyle’s making his shots, too. I think we’re starting to gel and it’s kind of at the perfect time in the Big Ten schedule.”

Brecht could be forgiven for sounding equal bits envious and exasperated. He discussed during the preseason and even this week about how new his team was, or at the very least different from what Rutgers had been the last year or two.

Much of that attitude is still in place — “that NASCAR offense, where it’s go, go, go,” as Pietramala described it — and it offers insight into how the Scarlet Knights deposited 10 goals in the second half and remained a threat to apply pressure on Hopkins until the final 30 seconds or so.

They just got started an hour late.

“Look at their knowns — their knowns had days,” Brecht said. “Epstein and Marr and Williams. Our knowns took a little while to get going, and we need a little more help from the supporting cast.”

Hopkins has won four out of five and six out of eight, a reversal from two frustrating losses to open the season. Pietramala wasn’t shy in late February about pointing out the foolhardiness of burying any team so early in the season.

As winter turned to spring, some facets of the Blue Jays improved. Faceoff man Kyle Prouty won 21 of 30 draws and had a goal and two assists. Goalie Ryan Darby had eight saves in the first half before Rutgers solved the Hopkins defense later in the game. Each of Hopkins’ first line midfielders contributed a point.

And — no small thing — the attack was at its most cohesive as the Blue Jays added another piece to their postseason resume.

“Everybody’s who kind of counted us out — and a lot of you have — this team has a lot of fight and a lot of guts and a lot of grit,” Pietramala said. “We’re far from perfect and we are very much a work in progress and need to show greater maturity in the fourth quarter. That’s been our problem the last few weeks. But we found a way to win and we got goals when we needed to get goals. Quite frankly, we got a stop or two when we needed to get a stop or two.”

As for Rutgers, it more than matched the Blue Jays in the second half. It just didn’t do enough early, again leaving it without traction. The Scarlet Knights have alternated two wins followed by two losses all season, and Saturday marked the third time they could deliver their first three-game winning streak of 2019.

“We started out Big Ten play like we had something to prove and then it was one game,” Brecht said. “Now we’re back to having to prove something again. We lost that edge.”