Goucher Men's Lacrosse Uses Big Offensive Outburst In Win Against Gordon

BALTIMORE, Md. – Zephan Harnish (Woodsboro, Md./Walkersville), Jared Heath (Windham, N.H./New Hampton), Grant Lasorda (Collegeville, Pa./Germantown Academy) and Matt Woodson (Timonium, Md./McDonough) combined for 11 goals and eight assists to power Goucher College to its third-straight win with an 18-8 victory against Gordon College on Monday.

Two days after posting a career-high seven goals, Harnish recorded two tallies and three helpers against the Fighting Scots on Monday. The senior notched a career high in assists and dished out more than one assist for the second time in his career while recording his third-straight multi-goal performance this season. Harnish ranks second on the team with 13 goals and four assists for 17 points.

Heath recorded a career best in goals (3) and assists (2) while registering his first career hat trick. The freshman now has four goals and four assists for eight points on the season. Lasorda notched his second career hat trick in three games after scoring a career-high four times against Lebanon Valley on March 2. The senior has 10 goals for 10 points on the year.

Woodson, who has seven goals and nine assists in his last three contests, posted his second hat trick of the season in goals while also dishing out three assists on Monday. The junior now has registered four games with at least three goals and has eight tilts with at least three helpers in his career. Woodson leads the team with 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points in 2019.

Brady O'Neill (Elkton, Md./Elkton) and Jimmy Russo (Frederick, Md./Saint John's Catholic) added two tallies and an assist while Jared Halverson (Durham, N.C./CE Jordan) and Rashaan Evans (Salisbury, Md./Parkside) each posted a goal and assist while the marker for Halverson was his first collegiate score. Nigel Bowden (Rosedale, Md./Archbishop Curley) also notched his first career point on an assist in the game.

Gordon came into the game with a 3-0 record after outscoring its opponents by a 41-8 margin combined in those games. Goucher rushed out to a 6-0 lead after one quarter and a 12-2 lead going into the locker room and never looked back to earn its third-straight win. 

Russo got the scoring started for the Gophers off a feed from Evans four minutes into the game before Heath connected with Woodson at 8:42 and then Heath took it himself at 7:59. Woodson then had a hand in the final three goals of the quarter after assisting Lasorda at 6:19 and Evans at 3:24 before he found the twine by himself with 11 seconds left in the frame for a 6-0 lead. 

The Fighting Scots scored the first tally of the second quarter before Goucher posted the next three goals. Russo set up Heath at 9:53 and Lasorda scored the next two goals off a Woodson feed at 9:53 and unassisted at 7:52 for a 9-1 lead.

After Gordon answered, the Gophers scored the final three goals of the half to go into the break with a 12-2 advantage. Harnish found Woodson at 4:04 before Mike Del Vecchio (Worcester, Pa./Methacton) notched his second career goal and first since his freshman year unassisted at 2:15. A freshman connection of Heath to Halverson at 1:07 closed the scoring for the half with the home team holding a 12-2 lead.

The Fighting Scots scored the first tally of the second half, but then saw Goucher hit the back of the net five times the rest of the stanza. Halverson started the run by feeding Russo at 8:38 before Harnish recorded one of his patented Harnish goal unassisted at 8:01. The senior then set up O'Neill for his first goal of the season at 5:28 and then O'Neill returned the favor 70 seconds later. Harnish then had a hand in the final goal of the quarter after feeding Heath with two minutes in the clock for a 17-3 lead.

O'Neill capped the victory with a tally off an assist from Bowden with seconds left to seal the 18-8 victory.

It was a career day for O'Neil, who also notched his first collegiate goal and now has three markers and an assist for four points.

Justin Lugo (Davie, Fla./Saint Andrew's School) made 14 saves in the first 45 minutes while allowing a season-low three goals.

Goucher, who is in the midst of four games in eight days, returns to action on Wednesday at home against Neumann University. Game time is 7 p.m.