Gophers Turn Back Mariners, Improve to 6-2

Gophers Turn Back Mariners, Improve to 6-2

Fitzpatrick Scores Four Times, Sets Up One Goal in 11-8 Win

March 21, 2009

TOWSON, Md. – Goucher turned a one-goal lead over Merchant Marine after 15:00 into a 10-3 advantage at the end of the third quarter and then the Gophers watched the Mariners rally for five goals in the final period before they could celebrate an 11-8 Landmark Conference victory this afternoon.

After a goal by Alex Boucher (North Wales, Pa./Germantown Academy) with :57 remaining in the first quarter snapped a 2-2 tie, the Gophers (6-2, 1-0 Landmark) outscored the Mariners, 6-1, in the second period. The offensive surge started with unassisted goals by Sam Fitzpatrick (Littleton, Colo./Arapahoe), Kyle Boncaro (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) and Brian Hoge (Crofton, Md./Arundel), and following an unassisted goal by Merchant Marine's Robert De Pol, concluded with Fitzpatrick scoring two more goals and picking up an assist on an extra-man goal by Hoge.

The only goal during the third quarter was scored with 1:33 remaining by Rory Averett (Ivyland, Pa./Council Rock North) and it put the Gophers ahead 10-3 heading into the final 15:00.

The Mariners (3-3, 0-1 Landmark) tallied the first three goals of the fourth quarter, closing to within 10-6 on a goal by De Pol with 9:00 remaining. Boncaro restored Goucher's lead to five goals when he tallied his team-leading 20th goal of the season with 5:01 left to play.

Fitzpatrick contributed four goals and the one assist to the victory, while Boncaro produced a pair of goals and was credited with four assists.

The Gophers, who are 2-0 against Merchant Marine since the formation of the Landmark Conference and 4-1 all-time, finished with a 33-26 edge in shots and came up with 16 more ground balls than the Mariners.

Nick LaBricciosa (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) handled all 23 faceoffs for Goucher and won 17 of them.