Belluch seals win 2-1 over Cairn
The Gophers move to 5-2-3 with a 2-1 win over Cairn University. Ryan Belluch ’17 scored in the 86th minute to get Goucher back on the right track.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Goucher
(5-2-3)
|
0 | 2 | 2 |
|
Cairn
(4-5-1)
|
0 | 1 | 1 |
Team Stats
Cairn
| Game Statistics | Goucher | Cairn |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 16 (5) | 7 (3) |
| Saves | 2 | 3 |
| Fouls | 14 | 16 |
| Corner Kicks | 9 | 4 |
| Offsides | 1 | 3 |
LANGHORNE, PA. - The Gophers moved to 5-2-3 with a 2-1 win over Cairn University on the road. Ryan Belluch (Reading, Pa) scored in the 86th minute to get Goucher back on the right track. Belluch’s beauty marks the seventh goal in the 80th minute or later. The Gophers have scored before the 80th minute only ten times this season. Goucher’s defense had to rely on goalkeeper Dan Hendry (Lewisburg, Pa) to make only two saves. On average, Hendry makes 8.2 saves per game this season. The defense also held Cairn’s attack to only one shot in the first half.
The first 45 minutes of play was marked by an aggressive defense and a conservative offense from Goucher. The team registered eight shots in the first half, with their best chances coming from corner kicks and free kicks. Jeremy Hardy (Brooklyn, NY) was put in his first attacking role in almost a year. The Gophers controlled much of the play in the first half, but failed to find the back of the net.
Goucher began their second half with a greater sense of urgency to win. As they pushed higher up the field, they allowed Cairn to counterattack. The referee called a penalty kick almost ten minutes into the second half and Cairn’s Brett Kikendall scored. Almost five minutes later, the referee called a penalty kick against Cairn. Scott Mt. Pleasant ’18 stepped up and scored evening the score at 1-1.
In what has becoem all too common this season, Mario Murcia (Akron, Pa) found Ryan Belluch on the right wing late in the 2nd half. Belluch blazed past his defender and hit a low shot to the far post to score in the 86th minute. “It felt good to get a win and put the team back on track,” Belluch said after the game. This is his third goal of the season. Humbly recognizing the Gopher’s goal to make it into the Landmark Conference playoffs, Belluch said, “The only goals that matter are the ones scored in conference play.”
After spending over two weeks on the road, the Gophers return to Beldon Field in a Landmark Conference game against Susquehanna University at 3:30pm on Saturday, October 1st.