Perfect Finish Keeps Gophers Perfect Against Cardinals

Mishaw Makes Career-High 19 Saves in Battle for First Place

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Over the first 49:30 of today's game between the two teams tied for first place in the Landmark Conference, Goucher was outshot, 42-18, and trailed Catholic on the scoreboard, 9-7.

The Gophers didn't make up the difference in shots over the final 10:30, but they did get off 11 shots compared to just three for the Cardinals. What they were able to accomplish, however, was to overcome their two-goal deficit by scoring the final four goals of the contest and emerge with an 11-9 victory.

The rally began with George Skelos (Lynbrook, N.Y./Lynbrook) setting up an extra-man goal by Matt Lynch (Ivyland, Pa./LaSalle College). An unassisted goal by Zach Fratella (Wilmington, Del./Brandywine) with 5:37 remaining created a 9-9 tie and the Gophers (9-4, 3-0 Landmark) took the lead on an unassisted goal by Rory Averett (Ivyland, Pa./Council Rock North) with 2:04 showing on the clock.

The Cardinals (10-4, 2-1 Landmark) won the ensuing faceoff, but a caused turnover by Tom Stabler (Keene, N.H./Keene) gave the ball back to Goucher and led to an unsettled goal by Kyle Boncaro (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) with 1:06 left to play.

The four-goal rally at the end wouldn't have mattered, however, were in not for the performance by Connor Mishaw (Wilmington, Del./Brandywine) in goal for the Gophers. The sophomore made a career-high 19 saves, the most by a Goucher goalkeeper since Austin Main turned away 19 shots in a game against St. Mary's (Md.) back in 2007.

Mishaw made no fewer than seven of his saves while the Gophers were a man down as the Cardinals scored on just one of their seven extra-man opportunities.

Goucher's first two shots of the contest yielded goals by Lynch and Pierce Ingram (Austin, Texas/Westwood), but Catholic answered with goals by Jimmy Sinnott and Brendan Englert as the first period ended with the teams locked in a 2-2 tie. The Cardinals went ahead for the first time on an unassisted goal by Chris Fuccillo 1:31 into the second quarter, but consecutive goals by Max Roach (Austin, Texas/Austin), Jackson Lane (Aurora, Colo./Smoky Hill) and Boncaro allowed the Gophers to depart the field at halftime on top 5-3.

Englert tallied four goals in the third quarter as the Cardinals led 7-6 heading into the final 15:00.

Lynch opened the scoring in the fourth period with an unassisted goal that made it a 7-7 game, but the Cardinals regained the lead on a goal by Bobby Kusbit with 11:44 remaining and went up 9-7 when Sinnott scored with 10:30 left to play.

Boncaro and Lynch both contributed three goals to the victory, which extends Goucher's lead in the all-time series between the two schools to 16-0.

Englert finished with five goals and an assist for Catholic, which had allowed only three of its first 13 opponents to score 10 or more goals.