Messerle's 19 Saves Not Enough to Rescue Gophers

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. — Despite a career-high 19-save performance by sophomore goalkeeper Matt Messerle (Limerick, Pa./Spring-Ford), Goucher was unsuccessful in its attempt to gain its first Landmark Conference victory of the season today. Elizabethtown was still able to turn enough of the 48 shots it got off into goals to earn a 12-7 victory over head coach Brian Kelly's squad.

• Zephan Harnish (Woodsboro, Md./Walkersville) tallied the only goal the Gophers (7-5, 0-4 Landmark) were able to generate in the first quarter, which ended with the Blue Jays on top, 4-1. The freshman midfielder also accounted for the first of three goals by the visiting team in the second period.

• The Gophers cashed in on two of the four extra-man opportunities they were presented. A man-up goal by Conner Annunziato (West Chester, Pa./Bayerd Rustin) that was assisted by Leo Sementilli (Ellicott City, Md./Howard) with :30 remaining in the second period sliced the Blue Jays' lead to 6-4 at the end of the first half.
  

• Messerle bunched 10 of his 19 saves into the third quarter, but Elizabethtown was still able to score three times and begin the fourth period up 9-5.
  

• Blake Russell (Lake Shore, Md./Northeast) led the Gophers with five ground balls, raising his team-leading total for the season to 34.
  

• Joe Clark and Phil Kyger both contributed three goals to the victory, the fifth straight for the Blue Jays (9-3, 4-0 Landmark).

Next up for the Gophers is a home game against Moravian on Saturday. The opening faceoff is set for 3:30 p.m.