Gophers Rule Fourth Quarter, Knock Off Mariners

11-7 Triumph Puts Goucher Alone Atop Landmark Standings

KINGS POINT, N.Y. — Goucher scored four times in the fourth quarter and, just as importantly, kept the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy totally off the scoreboard the entire final period in earning an 11-7 victory this afternoon that allowed the Gophers to take over sole possession of first place in the Landmark Conference.

Kyle Boncaro (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) opened the scoring in the fourth quarter, sticking an unassisted goal just :54 into the period to put the Gophers (7-3, 2-0 Landmark) ahead 8-7. When John Curry (Yarmouth, Maine/Yarmouth) tallied an unassisted goal less than two minutes later to put Goucher up 9-7, that was the first time the two teams had been separated by more than one goal.

Rory Averett (Ivyland, Pa./Council Rock North) set up a goal by Curry with 6:29 remaining to make the score 10-7 and then Averett closed out the scoring with 2:16 remaining by netting an unassisted extra-man goal, his team-leading 33rd goal of the season.

The Gophers led 6-5 at the half, the difference being Averett's man-up goal with :11 showing on the clock. The Mariners (4-4, 0-1 Landmark) tied the score at 6-6 on a goal by Phil Walker 1:20 into the third quarter and went ahead on an unassisted goal by Brian Flannery with 9:51 remaining in the period.

An unassisted goal by Jacob Fratella (Wilmington, Del./Brandywine) with 3:03 left to play in the third quarter got the Gophers even at 7-7, the seventh tie of the contest.

The Gophers were outshot 32-30, but they held the advantage in that category in the decisive fourth quarter, 11-3. Chris Stricklin (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley), who went the distance in goal for Goucher, made stops on all three shots the Mariners got off in the final period and finished with nine saves.