Gophers Shutout Man-Up Opportunities in Loss to Falcons

TOWSON, MD—Junior Michael Koropsak (Wayne, NJ) proved to be a strong defensive threat for the Gophers in a 12-6 loss against Messiah at home on Wednesday evening.

Koropsak led Goucher with four caused turnovers, leading a defense that stopped five man-up opportunities for the Falcons.

Junior Ruel Ellis (Austin, TX) continued his tear on offense, netting two goals to lead the team. Ellis is the first Gopher to reach double-digit goals during the 2017 campaign. He added one assist and one groundball to round out the night.

Other goal-scorers for Goucher were senior Jake Ziegler (Buffalo, NY), junior Pierce Bailey (Miami, FL) junior Derek Bitzer (Doylestown, PA) and freshman Andrew Sade (Lewisberry, PA).

Seniors Matthew Franken Blake Knobloch led the Falcons with four and three goals, respectively. Freshman Liam Lilienthal provided the team with two assists.

The Gophers were paced by senior Nate Wilinski (Decatur, GA) with three groundballs. Freshman Nicholas Patterson (East Lansing, MI) went 7-of-11 on face-offs for the night.

Senior goalie Sam Stengel spent the entire time in goal for Messiah, making six saves on 12 shots. He and Franken led the team with six groundballs each.

How It Happened:

• The Gophers jumped out to an early lead, getting a jump on the Falcons 3-1 at the end of the first quarter.
• Scoring was rare in the second quarter with Messiah netting the lone goal in the period.
• The third quarter was a battle for the lead with two lead changes and two ties.
• Messiah was the first on the board, knotting the game up at three before the Gophers rattled off back to back goals to create a cushion.
• The Falcons answered back with three goals in rapid succession to earn the lead 6-5 heading into the final stanza.
• Messiah took control in the fourth, creating a 10-5 lead before Goucher found the back of the net.
• Finally, the game came to a close with the Falcons on top, 12-6.
• Messiah held a decisive advantage in shots (52-20) and groundballs (32-16).
• The Gophers were a perfect 13-of-13 on clears for the evening.
• Goucher held Messiah 0-for-5 on man-up opportunities.

Up Next:

Goucher remains at home on Monday, playing host to Wooster College on Beldon Field at 7PM. Overall against Wooster, the Gophers boast a 2-1 record, topping the Fighting Scots 13-9 in 2009.