Mariners Handle Gophers, Clinch Berth in Playoffs

Boyce, Berger Test Goalkeeper with Landmark's Top GAA

KINGS POINT, N.Y. — Every Goucher player knew going into today's game against the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy that the Gophers' chances of knocking off the Mariners would go up if they managed to put a couple shots past sophomore goalkeeper Gary Poulin.

Poulin went into the contest with a 0.65 goals-against average, best in the Landmark Conference. He remained in the game only into the 57th minute, but he and his two replacements made a combined total of six saves as the Mariners defeated the Gophers, 4-0, and clinched a berth in the conference's upcoming postseason championship tournament.

Poulin was called on to make only two saves, both in the first half. He made a play on a shot by junior defender Adam Boyce (Fallston, Md./Fallston) in the 16th minute when the game was still scoreless and another on a shot by senior midfielder Jay Berger (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) in the 28th minute with the Mariners (9-2-4, 4-1-2 Landmark) up only 1-0.

Ryan Silveira had a hand in three of Merchant Marine's four goals. He opened the scoring at 22:03 with his third goal of the season, picked up an assist on Lane Gould's goal at 47:16 that provided the Mariners with a 3-0 lead and then accounted for the final goal of the game at 50:54.

Four of the five shots the Gophers (4-13, 0-6 Landmark) got off in the second half were after Poulin left the game and was replaced in the nets by Garrett Reinert, but Reinert stopped all four attempts to preserve the shutout.