Gophers Accomplish 1-0 Landmark Start with 2-0 Win

TOWSON, Md. — Goucher passed its first Landmark Conference test of the season today, earning a 2-0 victory over Moravian on a sun-splashed Beldon Field.

Thomas Adair (Dunkirk, Md./Northern) set up the first goal of the game with a cross from the right side that Drew Phillips (Hoosick Falls, N.Y./Hoosick Falls Central School) was able to knock in at 3:11 to put the Gophers (3-3, 1-0 Landmark) up 1-0.

Goucher was awarded six corner kicks in the first half and on one of them, Kevin Tonkovich (Lacey, N.J./Lacey Twp.) curved his attempt and it went untouched into the net at 18:40.

The goals were the first of the season for both Phillips and Tonkovich.

Goucher outshot Moravian, 10-3, during a scoreless second half to finish with an 18-5 edge for the game. Tonkovich nearly added a second goal three minutes into the half after being led in on a 1-on-1 situation by George El-Khoury (Cranford, N.J./Cranford), but Greyhound goalie Brian Boland charged in and made a one-handed stop.

Nicholas Stolarz (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) had to make only one save to record the shutout, the sophomore goalkeeper's third of the season and fifth of his career. His lone save came in the 70th minute on a header by Moravian's William Demmel.

The Greyhounds (2-5-1, 0-1 Landmark) had an even better chance to score less than 30 seconds later, but a shot by Brett Harder hit the crossbar.

By defeating Moravian for the fourth year in a row, Goucher took a 5-3 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools.

"We play in a tough league where every point is tough to get," head coach Bryan Laut said following the game. "Today our guys did a great job of picking up three important points. It's a great first step and gives us plenty to build on for the upcoming week."

Before their next Landmark game against the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy on September 27, Laut's Gophers will travel to face Shenandoah on Tuesday at 7 p.m.