TOWSON, Md. (Oct. 29, 2016) – The Drew University men's soccer team clinched a berth in the Landmark Conference Championships with a momentous 4-1 win at Goucher College in the regular season finale on Saturday.
Playoff Picture: The Rangers (10-4-3), who secured their ninth straight season with double-digit wins, will be the No. 3 seed in the Landmark playoff tournament with their 4-1-2 conference record. Drew travels to No. 2 The University of Scranton (12-3-1, 5-2) for the semifinals on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. The Rangers defeated Scranton on the road, 2-1, in their regular season meeting on Oct. 5.
Top Performers: Freshman forward
Andy Imoh continues to make his case for Rookie of the Year with another pair of goals at Goucher, running his season total to eight – tied for third in the entire conference. Juniors
Benjamin Audi and
Eduardo Martinez added insurance goals late in the second half, and in addition to four saves in net and his 20
th victory as a Drew goalkeeper, senior
John Marques picked up his first career point by assisting Audi's goal in the 85
th minute.
Turning Point: Imoh set the offensive tone early, taking the game's first shot in the 5
th minute and later scoring the contest's first goal in the 15
th minute. The always-scrappy Goucher team fought back to tie it up in the 19
th minute and a deadlock ensued for the next hour into the second half. In the 79
th minute, Imoh notched the unassisted game-winner, sparking a slew of goals to end the regular season on a wildly positive note heading into the postseason.
Other Highlights: Marques picked up his first career point with a strong boot down the field on a quick transition. The ball scooted behind the Goucher backline, where Audi was waiting to take over and score his second goal of his injury-shortened junior season. Martinez notched his first goal of the fall three minutes later off an assist by junior
Harrison Gassert, which was also his first career assist.
Stat Sheet: The final score was indicative of Drew's dominance throughout the contest as they outshot the Gophers, 21-8. Drew took four corners to Goucher's two and were not flagged offside once.