Gophers Suffer 1-0 Setback in Final Landmark Tune-Up

TOWSON, Md. — Even though Goucher was the more aggressive team in the second half, it was Gettysburg that came up with the only goal of the period, the one that allowed the Bullets to depart Beldon Field with a 1-0 victory over head coach Bryan Laut's Gophers.

The two teams combined for 15 shots in the opening half, but with the two starting goalkeepers making five saves between them, the game remained scoreless through 45 minutes.

The Gophers (2-3) came close to scoring several times during the first 16 minutes of the second half. Their best scoring chance took place in the 54th minute when they were awarded a corner kick. The ball was sent into the box by Kevin Tonkovich (Lacey, N.J./Lacey Twp.), who placed it where teammate Tate Becker (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) could get a head on it. Becker's header got quickly past goalkeeper Peter Como of the Bullets, but bounded hard off the crossbar and back into the field of play.

Como, who was required to make only two saves in the first half, turned away a shot by Nate Margolis (Ivyland, Pa./Council Rock North) in the 50th minute and two additional attempts by Becker, one in the 50th minute and the other in the 59th minute.

Tonkovich also found the crossbar with a shot from the left side in the 61st minute.

The Bullets (4-1) were limited to two shots the entire second half. The first one came off the foot of Henry Smith, but goalkeeper Nicholas Stolarz (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) stopped it, picking up his fourth and final save of the contest.

The scoreless tie was finally broken in the 79th minute by Gettysburg's Christian Pyros, who rifled a shot from well outside the box and placed it into the top right corner for his first goal of the season.

The Gophers got off two more shots in the remaining time, both by Tonkovich. Como stopped the first one, giving him his sixth save, and the second attempt drifted wide.

"Soccer can be a cruel game," head coach Bryan Laut said. "I thought our performance, especially in the second half, was as good as it could be. Unfortunately we were missing the final piece and got punished for it. However, I am extremely confident that the final piece is coming and that we will be fully ready for conference play."

This was Goucher's final non-conference tune-up before jumping into Landmark Conference action against Moravian on Saturday, Sept. 20. The Gophers will host the Greyhounds on Beldon Field, starting at 1 p.m.