Gophers Clinch Landmark Playoff Spot on Senior Day
TOWSON, Md. - After falling behind 1-0, the Goucher College men's soccer team scored twice in a span of 4:29 to take a 2-1 lead and an eventual win by that score over Moravian University in Landmark Conference men's soccer on Senior Day at Beldon Field. With the win, the Gophers clinch a spot in the Landmark Men's Soccer Championship for the first time since 2014 and second time in program history.
- Goucher (9-4-4, 3-2-2 Landmark) got a corner kick less than 20 seconds into the game, with Jeremiah Odubade (London, England/Fairmont Heights) pushing a header wide.
- Moravian (5-8-4, 2-2-3) took its first shot in the ninth minute that was blocked.
- The Gophers had three shots around the 15-minute mark but all three were sent wide.
- Ale Sternini (Rome, Italy/Williston Northampton) made a save on a Ben Scary shot at the 25-minute mark.
- Moravian outshot Goucher 7-4 in the first half but just one shot total was on frame.
- Odubade sent a header wide five minutes into the second half.
- Jonathan Alvarado (Hyattsville, Md./International HS at Langley Park) had a shot saved by Greyhound keeper Andrew Reimas two minutes later.
- At 52:37, Scary scored to give Moravian a 1-0 lead.
- Goucher tied the game in the 62nd minute. Andres Aristimuno (Huger, S.C./Oceanside Collegiate Academy) played a ball from deep on the left wing into the box, which Bobby Beringer (Okinawa, Japan) chipped past Reimas for his seventh goal of the season.
- Just over four minutes later, an initial header by Xavier Dever (Hollywood, Md./Leonardtown) rang off the right post, but Odubade put the rebound home to give the Gophers a 2-1 advantage.
- Sternini made a save on a header with 17 minutes left.
- With seven minutes left following a collision, Jeff Castro (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township) came in for Goucher in relief in goal.
- With Moravian pushing forward, Castro made four saves, including a bid by Carson Snyder into the upper left corner on a free kick at the top of the 18 that a leaping Castro turned away.
- Goucher will be making its second Landmark Conference postseason appearance since joining the conference as a founding member in 2007.
- The Gophers' nine victories are their most since 2006 when they went 9-9.
- Moravian held a 15-11 shot advantage and took four corner kicks to Goucher's three.
- Sternini made two saves before giving way to Castro, who recorded four stops.
- Reimas made one save for Moravian, which had entered Saturday one point ahead of the Gophers in the Landmark standings.
- Prior to the game, Goucher honored eight seniors, Dever, Julian Brown (Philadelphia, Pa./Springfield Township), Yaya Diabagate (Hyattsville, Md./International HS at Langley Park), Ali Kazim Nakhid (Beirut, Lebanon/UMBC), Adrian Mubiru (Riverdale Park, Md./International HS at Langley Park), Isaiah Perry (West Hartford, Conn./Hall), Nick Sickler (Towson, Md./Towson) and Jack Topper (Frederick, Md./Thomas Johnson).
MSOC | Jeremiah Odubade puts home the rebound to give @Goucher_MSoccer a 2-1 lead in the second half against Moravian!#d3soccer #GopherGreatness #GoucherProud pic.twitter.com/USJ6037abb
— Goucher Gophers (@GoucherSports) October 29, 2022
MSOC | Jeff Castro came in in goal in relief late and made this great save to maintain the lead in Saturday's 2-1 win!#d3soccer #GopherGreatness #GoucherProud pic.twitter.com/bs88Z2Bawe
— Goucher Gophers (@GoucherSports) October 29, 2022
- Third-seeded Goucher will travel to second-seeded Elizabethtown on Wednesday, November 2 for a Landmark Conference semifinal. That game is slated for a 7 pm kickoff.
- Wednesday's other semifinal features No. 4 Scranton traveling to top-seeded Catholic.