Lynch Gouges Rangers with Dagger in Third OT

Averett Passes Anthony as All-Time Leader with 133 Career Goals

TOWSON, Md. — Goucher locked up the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Landmark Conference postseason tournament when junior midfielder Matt Lynch (Ivyland, Pa./LaSalle College) stuck an unassisted goal 9:13 into overtime this afternoon to provide the Gophers with an 8-7 triumph over Drew.

The Gophers (10-5, 4-1 Landmark) trailed by two on three separate occasions and didn't take their first lead until Lynch set up an extra-man goal by Rory Averett (Ivyland, Pa./Council Rock North) midway through the third quarter. With :37 remaining in the period, Averett scored again, putting his team up 7-5 with the 133rd goal of his career, making the junior attackman the all-time leader in the history of Goucher's men's lacrosse program as he passed Phil Anthony (1999-2002).

A pair of extra-man goals by Sean McGowan just :28 apart in the first minute of the fourth quarter allowed the Rangers (8-6, 2-3 Landmark) to overcome their two-goal deficit and pull into a 7-7 tie.

Neither team would score again until Lynch's game-winning goal 1:13 into the third four-minute extra session.

Connor Mishaw (Wilmington, Del./Brandywine), who went the distance in goal for Goucher, made nine saves through the first three quarters, but from the time the Rangers tied the score at 7-7 through the end of the contest, he turned away 12 additional shots – including six during the three overtime periods – to finish with a career-high 21 saves.

Charlie DeSocio made only one post-regulation save, but still ended up with a total of 19 for the Rangers.

McGowan's extra-man goal with :07 remaining staked Drew to a 3-1 lead after one period. The Gophers retaliated in the second quarter with a man-down goal by John Curry (Yarmouth, Maine/Yarmouth) and an even-strength goal by Lynch to pull even, but once again with :07 showing on the clock, Nicholas Della Fera beat Mishaw as the Rangers departed the field at the end of the first half on top, 4-3.

Andrew Somps put Drew up 5-3 with a man-up goal just :57 into the third quarter, but the Gophers, who have beaten the Rangers three straight times to take a 6-4 advantage in the all-time series, answered with the next four goals of the contest.

The game-winning goal capped a three-goal, two-assist performance by Lynch.

In addition to supplying the Rangers with three goals, McGowan handled 19 faceoffs and lost only one the entire game.

Prior to today's game, the Gophers were 0-8 all-time in games that extended beyond one overtime period. Previously they've lost five times to Swarthmore in either double or triple overtime, once to Virginia Wesleyan in three OTs, and once apiece in double overtime to St. Mary's (Md.) and Scranton.

As the No. 1 seed in the Landmark playoffs, the Gophers will host Susquehanna in the semifinals on Wednesday. The other semifinal that day sends Catholic to Scranton.