Gophers Score Season-High 16 in Landmark Opener
March 26, 2022
TOWSON, Md. - The Goucher College men's lacrosse team scored a season-high 16 goals as it opened Landmark Conference play with a 16-7 victory over Juniata College at Beldon Field Saturday afternoon.
- Juniata (1-7, 0-1 Landmark) took a 1-0 lead 30 seconds into the game.
- A goal by Goucher's (2-8, 1-0 Landmark) Jack McDermott (Wilmington, Del./The White Mountain School) tied the game at the 11:45 mark.
- Back-to-back goals by Jared Halverson (Durham, N.C./Charles E. Jordan) 1:44 apart put the Gophers on top 3-1 at the 8:40 mark.
- Ben Smith (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley) scored at 8:04 and a Jared Heath (Windham, N.H./New Hampton) tally with 4:22 left in the first upped the Goucher advantage to 5-1.
- Juniata stopped the Gopher run with a Matt McCleary goal with 2:41 left.
- With just under a minute remaining, Heath scored again to make it 6-2 through 15 minutes.
- The Eagles converted a man-up opportunity just over three minutes into the second quarter.
- McDermott's second goal of the game just over a minute later made it 7-3.
- Two goals by the guests in a span of 1:36 pulled Juniata within two, 7-5, with 8:24 to go.
- Dylan White (Dagsboro, Del./Indian River) scored at the 6:50 mark.
- Smith closed out the first half scoring with his goal 3:54 before halftime, with White assisting.
- Goucher carried a 9-5 lead into intermission.
- Goucher scored the first four goals of the third, with Halverson scoring back-to-back at 13:31 and 8:37.
- Milan Temple (Joppatowne, Md./Concordia Prep) scored with 7:14 on the clock on a feed from Halverson.
- McDermott notched his third goal of the game, a man-up goal, with 1:09 on the clock.
- Juniata avoided the third quarter shutout with Jack Loucks goal with 20 seconds left in the frame.
- Will Kelly (Lutherville-Timonium, Md./Towson) scored his first collegiate goal on a feed from Halverson with 12:27 remaining.
- Smith extended Goucher's lead to 15-6 with his tally just over a minute later.
- Loucks scored at the 6:47 mark for the Eagles.
- Sam Stewart (Denver, Pa./Cocalico) added his first college goal with 1:25 left in the game.
- Goucher got goals from eight different players, with Halverson leading the way with four goals and four assists.
- McDermott and Smith each found the back of the net three times, while Heath finished with two goals and an assist.
- Kyle Ramos (Silver Spring, Md./Bethesda Chevy Chase), Sean Nolan (Las Vegas, Nev./Faith Lutheran) and Dwayne Barnes, Jr. (Salisbury, Md./Parkside) each recorded three caused turnovers as the Gophers finished with 21 caused turnovers on the day.
- Nolan and Halverson each picked up six ground balls, with goalie Justin Lugo (Davie, Fla./Saint Andrew's) recording five and Ramos and Eric Conaway, Jr. (Baltimore, Md./Cristo Rey Jesuit) four apiece.
- Lugo made 13 saves before being relieved by Jaden Algarin (Havre de Grace, Md./Concordia Prep) for the final 1:18. Algarin made one save.
- Goucher outshot Juniata 46-36 and forced 35 Eagle turnovers on the afternoon.
- Goucher's 16 goals were a season high and the most since scoring 25 in a 25-6 win over Juniata on April 18, 2019.
- The two teams were meeting for the first time as Juniata is in its first season as a varsity program.
- Goucher is on the road next Saturday, April 2, as it travels to Susquehanna for a 1 pm Landmark Conference contest.
- The Gophers return home on Saturday, April 9 as they host Moravian at Beldon Field at 1 pm.