Hooper, Belin Net Goals, as Field Hockey Blanks Drew, 3-0, in Landmark Opener

MADISON, N.J. - Senior Maya Belin (Baltimore, Md.) scored a pair of goals in the second half, as the Goucher College field hockey team controlled host Drew, 3-0, on Saturday in the Landmark Conference season opener for both squads.

With the victory, Goucher moved to 4-3 overall and 1-0 in the Landmark, while Drew fell to 1-7 and 0-1 in the Landmark with the loss.

The first half was a defensive battle between the teams, with Goucher outshooting Drew, 4-2, in the first 35 minutes.

The Gophers, however, were able to crack a scoreless tie in the 24th minute, as sophomore Ariana Hooper (San Diego, Calif.) scored off an assist from junior Danielle Johnson (Salisbury, Md.) to give the Gophers the early 1-0 edge.

Goucher's 1-0 lead held through the rest of the period, and into halftime. In the second period, though, the Gophers came out firing, ending the half taking 12 shots.

Two of those scoring opportunities found the back of the net to put separation between the Gophers and the Rangers, as Belin cashed in on both chances to put the match away.

Both goals came within a minute of one another. The first occurred in the 66th minute, as Belin scored, unassisted, to put the Gophers up, 2-0. 59 seconds later, Belin scored again, putting Goucher up for good at 3-0.

For Belin, it continued a torrid pace on the offensive end she has been on since the beginning of the season. The senior has now scored six goals in five matches played, scoring five goals this week alone in victories over Frostburg State (3) and Drew.

Overall on the day, Goucher went on to outshoot Drew, 16-7, while holding a 9-5 edge on penalty corners.

The Goucher College field hockey team returns to action on Tuesday, as they host Immaculata at Beldon Field. Action gets underway at 4 p.m.

--GOPHERS--