Temple Earns 100th Career Point Against Hood

FREDERICK, MD - The Goucher College Gophers (0-3 overall) hit the road for the first time in the 2026 campaign, traveling to take on the Blazers of Hood College (1-2 overall). Despite a strong opening quarter from Goucher, a decisive second and third quarter lifted Hood to an 11-7 victory.

The Gophers controlled the opening faceoff, as Aaron Butera secured the first possession. Both teams settled in defensively, combining for three shots in the first four minutes. Hood struck first at the 10:27 mark, but Goucher responded quickly. Milan Temple capitalized on a Blazer turnover, finishing a feed from Eli Jean-Jacques to even the score at 1-1. Butera delivered again at the faceoff, leading to a go-ahead goal from Jean-Jacques off an assist from James Dean (7:33). The Gophers continued their early surge when Kevin Gearhart found the back of the net with just over five minutes remaining in the first, giving Goucher a 3-1 edge. Hood answered with a man-up goal at 3:51 to trim the deficit to 3-2 at the end of one.

The Blazers carried their momentum into the second, scoring a goal within the first minute to tie the game. Hood added pressure with four shots before netting back-to-back goals to take a 5-3 lead at 11:13. After Hood won the ensuing faceoff, Cole Smith forced a turnover to halt the momentum. The Gophers used this in their favor, with Gianni Karam adding his third goal of the season off a pass from Jacob Morgan (10:07). The remainder of the half was scoreless on both sides, but featured nine shots from Goucher and a caused turnover from both Nick Gambone and Smith. The Blazers led 5-4 at the half. 

Goucher opened the second half with another faceoff win, but play remained even for nearly five minutes before Hood extended its lead at 10:12. Hood proceeded to score the next three goals, including a man-up goal, to build their lead to 9-4 (5:45). Karam and Morgan connected once again to snap the run, and after Smith forced another turnover, Scott Tayman converted at 2:58 to bring Goucher within three heading into the final quarter.

Hood capitalized on a late Goucher penalty, scoring just 15 seconds into the fourth. The teams battled through a five-minute scoreless stretch, highlighted by three saves from Josh Steinmiller. With 9:03 remaining in the contest, Temple added the final goal for Goucher, off a feed from Morgan. The final goal of the game came 30 seconds later, on a man-up opportunity, to secure the 11-7 win.

Morgan paced the offense with three assists, while Karam and Temple each recorded two goals. With two goals on the night, Temple earned his 100th and 101st career points. Smith led the defensive effort with four caused turnovers, while Gambone, Mason Wolf, and Chris Coleman each added one. Gambone also collected a team-high three ground balls. Steinmiller played all 60 minutes in goal, finishing with 12 saves.

At the faceoff, Butera went 6-16, while Wolf went 0-4, and Smith went 0-1. The Blazers outshot the Gophers, 41-33, but the Gophers held the advantage on clears, going 19-24 compared to Hood's 18-24. 

The Gophers are back in action Saturday, Feb. 28th, traveling to Lebanon Valley for a 12pm faceoff.