SCRANTON, Pa.-Senior midfielder Thomas Kornobis (Merrick, N.Y./W.C. Mepham) scored a goal as the final buzzer sounded in double overtime to lift The University of Scranton to a dramatic 10-9 victory over Goucher College in Landmark Conference action Saturday afternoon at Fitzpatrick Field.

Kornobis, who finished with two goals and an assist, took a pass from near midfield from sophomore midfielder JP Barton (North Brunswick, N.J./St. Joseph Metuchen), who came up with a ground ball after Goucher failed on a clear attempt, and fired a shot from 15 yards out that got past Gopher junior goalie Chris Stricklin (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley) as the clock expired. With the win, Scranton improves to 5-5 overall and 2-1 in the Landmark Conference, while Goucher falls to 6-4 overall and 1-1 in the conference.

Kornobis' game-winning goal would not have been possible if not for the play of sophomore attacker Kyle Frank (Glen Arm, Md./Boys' Latin), who finished with three goals. With the Royals trailing 9-8 in the final minute of regulation, Frank sent the game into overtime with an unassisted goal with 13 seconds remaining.

Scranton, which out-shot the Gophers 38-31, held a 49-40 edge in ground ball, and won 16 of 24 face-offs, also received two goals and two assists from freshman Robby Napp (Spring Lake, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy), and a goal apiece from senior attacker Nick Youngstrom (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal), sophomore midfielder Keenan Dowd (Binghamton, N.Y./Seton Catholic), and freshman attacker Brett Greer (Morton, Pa./Ridley).

Freshman attacker Rory Averett (Ivyland, Pa./Council Rock North) led Goucher with four goals and an assist and senior attacker Sam Fitzpatrick (Littleton, Colo./Arapahoe) had two goals and an assists. The Gophers also received a goal apiece from senior midfielder Brian Hoge (Crofton, Md./Arundel), junior midfielder Jake Fratella (Keene, N.H./Keene), and senior attacker Adam Pietrocarlo (Hamburg, N.Y./Frontier Central), and three assists from freshman midfielder Matt Lynch (Ivyland, Pa./LaSalle College).

The Royals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period behind goals by Napp and Dowd and extended their lead to 5-1 midway through the second period before Averett scored with 50 seconds left on a play set up by Fitzpatrick to cut Scranton's advantage to 5-2 at intermission.

The Gophers, who defeated the Royals twice last year, including once in overtime, whittled away at Scranton's lead and used goals by Averett, Fitzpatrick and Fratella to cut the margin to one, 6-5, entering the final 15 minutes of play.

Frank then sandwiched two goals around a goal by Averett in the opening five minutes of the fourth period to give the Royals an 8-6 lead. Averett cut the lead to one with a goal off an assist by Lynch before the Gophers tied the game moments later when Hoge found the back of the net off of a pass from Boncaro on a man-up situation with 6:45 remaining.

Lynch then came up with another key play. He caused a turnover near midfield, then picked up the ground ball, and found Fitzpatrick open for a goal with 3:21 left to give the Gophers their first and only lead of the game. Both teams committed critical turnovers down the stretch.

With less than 30 seconds remaining, Napp forced a turnover and after a successful clear by the Royals, Frank hit a running shot from 12 yards out to send the game into overtime. In the first overtime period, Goucher got off three shot attempts, all of which were wide of the target. Scranton did manage to win the face-off and control the ball throughout the entire second overtime period.

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2009-04-04