Gophers Bow to Preseason Pick to Win Landmark Title

Bielecki's Goal at 87:35 Reduces Goucher's Deficit to 2-1

TOWSON, Md. — Goucher had the honor of hosting the first Landmark Conference game of 2011 this afternoon, but also the daunting task of taking on the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, which was picked in a preseason poll of the conference's head coaches and sports information directors to finish in first place.

The Gophers trailed 1-0 at the end of the first half and fell further behind when the visitors successfully converted a penalty kick in the 50th minute. Goucher got one of the goals back when Hudson Bielecki (Olivebridge, N.Y./Onteora) found the back of the net at 87:35, but the Mariners survived the final 2:25 of regulation without surrendering another goal to hang on for the 2-1 victory.

An unassisted goal by Kyle Arestivo at 7:59 accounted for all of the scoring in the opening period.

Kurt Olsen's penalty kick at 49:26 put the Mariners (5-1, 1-0 Landmark) up 2-0.

Bielecki's goal that allowed the Gophers (2-5, 0-1 Landmark) to close to within 2-1 was set up by Brandon Weiner (Derwood, Md./Col. Zadok A. Magruder), who delivered a long service from midfield.

This was the fifth head-to-head meeting between Merchant Marine and Goucher since the formation of the Landmark Conference, and even though the Mariners have prevailed in each one, this was the fourth time that just one goal separated the two teams at the end.