Meissner Contributes Five Goals to 13-7 Triumph

TOWSON, Md. — Rita Meissner (Yonkers, N.Y./Yonkers) accounted for Goucher's first two goals in tonight's game against Southwestern (Texas), and both of them wiped out a one-goal advantage for the visiting Pirates. The senior midfielder also tallied three of her team's final four goals, helping the Gophers achieve some separation as they went on to claim a 13-7 victory.

Meissner's second goal, which created a 2-2 deadlock midway through the first half, was also the opening strike on a run of five straight goals by the Gophers (10-4), who went ahead for the first time on a goal by Dani McCreary (Upper Marlboro, Md./Bishop McNamara). Their lead grew to 6-2 when Jessica Borucki (Westminster, Md./North Carroll) turned a free-position shot into her team-high 32nd goal of the season with just over four minutes remaining before halftime.

Southwestern closed to within 7-4 on an unassisted goal by Kate Davis with 1:25 remaining in the first half, but Goucher left the field at intermission up by four thanks to a goal by Anneke Ossorio (Lafayette, Colo./Kent Denver School) with 12.4 seconds showing on the clock.

Goucher had some difficulty shaking the opposition in the second half until its lead dipped to 9-6 on an unassisted goal by Allison Cook with just under 21 minutes left to play. A short time later, the Borucki-to-Meissner connection clicked twice in a span of just :17, allowing the Gophers to build their lead back up to 11-6.

There were just five seconds remaining when Meissner closed out the scoring with her fifth goal of the contest, which was assisted by Borucki.

Goucher finished with a 28-17 advantage in shots, but Southwestern held the upper hand in ground balls, 28-20. Both teams were guilty of 26 turnovers.

The Gophers, who reached 10 victories in a season for the first time since 2004, are down to their final three regular season contests, each one against an opponent from the Landmark Conference. Up first is a home game at 5 p.m. Wednesday against Catholic.