Men's Soccer Earns Clean Sheet in 2-0 Win Over Cairn

TOWSON, Md. – The Goucher College men's soccer team (1-2-0, Landmark 0-0-0) earned its first win of the 2017 season with a 2-0 victory over the Cairn University Highlanders at home on Wednesday evening.

Junior Elton Kativhu (Harare, Zimbabwe) scored the first goal for Goucher while sophomore Brandon Cohen (Redondo Beach, Calif.) supplemented the Gophers' evening.

The opening 15 minutes of the match was full of posturing with both teams struggling to take an advantage over the other. The first shot on goal did not come to fruition until the 18^th minute when junior Konrad Bulanowski (Philadelphia, Pa.) ripped a shot on goal that was stopped by Cairn's, Colin Baker. However, the shot bounced off the diving keeper to the feet of a charging Kativhu who did not hesitate to drill the ball into the back of the net for the first goal of his career.

Goucher overtook the momentum for the remainder of the half, nearly capitalizing in the 41^st minute on a corner kick sent in by Cohen. At the break, the Gophers led, 1-0.

In the second half, Cohen continued to harass Baker in the goal, putting two shots on target before finding pay dirt in the 83^rd minute. The play began in the midfield when junior Dalen Thompson (Maplewood, N.J.) lofted a ball over the back line perfectly in stride to Cohen who made the most of a one-on-one opportunity to double the Gophers' advantage.

Goucher held an advantage in shots (17-4) and shots on goal (11-1). Junior Daniel Hendry (Lewisburg, Pa.) played the entire match in goal, making one save en route to his first clean sheet of the year. Baker finished the game with nine saves on the evening.

The Gophers are back in action on Friday when they travel to Gwynedd Mercy to take on the Griffins at 4 p.m.