Gophers Top Moravian, Remain Perfect in Landmark

TOWSON, Md. — This afternoon marked the second time this season that Goucher faced off against a Landmark opponent that it had never beaten before. The Gophers are now 2-0 in those contests.

In a battle for first place in the Landmark standings, Goucher raced out to a 2-1 lead after doubles, and a three-set singles victory from Seth Hoesman (Ellicott City, Md./Howard) sealed an eventual 7-2 win over Moravian at the Goucher Tennis Courts. This was the fifth straight triumph overall for the Gophers (9-4, 4-0 Landmark), while the Greyhounds (7-5, 3-1 Landmark) dropped down to third in the conference.

Goucher picked up the first two points of the match. Josh Goldberg (Centreville, Md./Queen Anne's County) and Britt Shortle (Lake Mary, Fla./Trinity Preparatory School) cruised to an 8-3 win at No. 3 doubles to get the day started. Jack Hodges (London, England/Shrewsbury School) and Midori Fujitani (Tokyo, Japan/International School Bangkok), meanwhile, took the last three games at No. 2 to top Lewis Cooper and Giovanni Lombardi by an 8-5 final score.

Only a late rally from the Moravian duo of Matt Tuorto and John Wylie at No. 1 prevented a doubles sweep. They took the final three games from Hoesman and Joey Caracappa (Wesley Chapel, Fla./Saddlebrook Preparatory School) to edge out an 8-6 decision, sending the Gophers' top pair to its first dual defeat of the season.

Straight set singles victories from Fujitani (No. 4) and Caracappa (No. 2) pulled Goucher within a point of clinching the match. The Greyhounds stayed alive with a 6-4, 7-6 (8) triumph by Tuorto over Hodges at the top spot, but Hoesman ended the suspense with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 come-from-behind win at No. 3. Fujitani, Caracappa and Hoesman have each gone undefeated in singles play during the team's current winning streak.

Shortle (No. 5) and Goldberg (No. 6) rounded out the final score with two-set victories at the bottom of the lineup.

Before today, the Gophers had never scored more than three points in a matchup against Moravian. This was their first win in eight meetings overall.

Goucher remains within the conference for its next contest. The Gophers will travel to Landmark newcomer Elizabethtown on Wednesday, with the match scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.