Huge Second Half Leads Gophers Past Penn State Berks

TOWSON, Md. - After visiting Penn State Berks erased a 2-0 deficit with two goals in a span of 1:23, the Goucher College men's soccer team responded by scoring the game's final four goals en route to a 6-2 win in non-conference play Tuesday night at Beldon Field.

• Goucher's (5-7-2) Nick Sickler (Towson, Md. / Towson) had the first shot of the game for either team just over 10 minutes in when he pushed a shot high.
• In the 13th minute Penn State Berks' (2-10-1) Owen VanDyke put a shot on goal that was corralled by Gopher goalie Jeff Castro (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township).
• Aidan Spoor (Milton, Del. / Cape Henlopen) had his bid turned aside by Lion goalie Jose Aparicio at 14:33.
• With just over 19 minutes to play in the first half Jonathan Alvarado (Hyattsville, Md. / International HS at Langley Park) put a shot on frame that Aparicio came up with the save on.
• In the 28th minute, Ali Kazim Nakhid (Beirut, Lebanon / UMBC) corraled a ball at the top of the box and put a pass over to Sickler standing on the left side of the box.  Sickler's shot from outside the 18 caromed off the far right post and in to give Goucher a 1-0 lead.

• Goucher drew a foul in the box and was awarded a penalty kick at the 52:18 mark which Nakhid converted to make it 2-0.
• Just over six minutes later, the Lions cut the lead to 2-1 as VanDyke scored.
• The Gophers were whistled for a foul in the box just over a minute later.  The initial PK by Shane Gleason was stopped by Castro, but Gleason collected the rebound and fired it home to tie the game 20 seconds shy of the 60-minute mark.
• Jeremiah Odubade (Capital Heights, Md. / Fairmont Heights) reclaimed the lead for Goucher less than three minutes later as he took a short pass from Nick Haines (Taneytown, Md. / Francis Scott Key) and beat Aparicio with a 10-yard shot.
• With just over 20 minutes remaining, Odubade scored his second of the night, taking a pass from the corner from Xavier Dever (Hollywood, Md. / Leonardtown), deking a Penn State Berks defender and going low and right to make it 4-2.
• Dever made it 5-2 in the 75th minute as he went upper right from just inside the top of the box after a back-and-forth with Alvarado.
• Alvarado closed out the scoring with 1:26 remaining, with Will Frasier (Hereford, Md. / Hereford) assisting.

• Goucher's six goals were the most in a game by the Gophers since an 8-1 win over Gwynedd Mercy in 2018.
• The Gophers outshot the Lions 21-14, with the guests taking one more corner kick (5-4).
• Castro made eight saves, while Aparicio made six saves in the first 75:48 before giving way to Colin Lewis, who made three stops.
• Odubade totaled a pair of goals while Nakhid, Dever and Alvarado all finished with a goal and an assist.
• Alvarado's goal was the first of his career for the freshman.
• Odubade has now scored nine goals on the season, the most since Brandon Cohen had nine in 2016.

MSOC | Nick Sickler with the 20-yard blast off the far post to give @Goucher_MSoccer a 1-0 lead over Penn State Berks! #d3soccer #SCtop10 @SportsCenter @ESPNAssignDesk pic.twitter.com/5O2u6nudAd

— Goucher Gophers (@GoucherSports) October 12, 2021

• Goucher returns to Landmark Conference action on Saturday when it travels to Drew for a 4 pm contest.
• The Gophers return home on Saturday, October 23, hosting Juniata for a 4 pm Landmark Conference match at Beldon Field.