Kelleher And Charikofsky Sweep Landmark Conference Awards For Goucher Women's Soccer

BALTIMORE, Md. – Megan Kelleher (Lafayette, N.J./High Point Regional) and Christina Charikofsky (Eldersburg, Md./Liberty), members of the Goucher College women's soccer team, have garnered Landmark Conference awards for the first weekend of the season announced on Tuesday. Kelleher nabbed her first conference honor with the Offensive Player of the Week accolade while Charikofsky was named the Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in her career.

Kelleher scored the decisive goal in the 94th minute in a 1-0 overtime win against Gwynedd Mercy on Friday night in her first collegiate game. The freshman took a tap-back pass from Gracie LeFevre (Glenwood, Md./Glenelg) and drilled it into the top netting for her first career score. She then got the Gophers off to the fast start with a tally off an Alyssa Hodnik (Pittsburgh, Pa./Kiski Area) free kick in the ninth minute of a 2-1 win against Hood on Sunday.

Charikofsky posted a 0.49 goals against average, an .833 save percentage and five saves in the two wins. The junior recorded three saves in the overtime win on Friday including two in the final 10 minutes of regulation to set up Kelleher's heroics. Charikofsky then made two stops against Hood in the win, but also came up big by thwarting several chances that never turned into shots for the visitors.

Kelleher marks the ninth time a player has earned Offensive Player of the Week honors and the first since Camryn Mackey on Sept. 11, 2017. Charikofsky, who took home the award for the first time on Oct. 8, 2018, is the ninth time a Gopher has been honored with the Defensive Player of the Week award since joining the Landmark Conference.

It is also the first time Goucher has swept the conference weekly awards since Sherlanda Buskey (Offensive) and Juliana Harkavy (Defensive) turned the trick on Oct. 12, 2012.

The Gophers return to action on Wednesday at Lycoming. Match time is 4 p.m. Goucher improved to 2-0 for the second-straight season and the third time since joining the Landmark Conference. The Gophers are 8-0-4 in the first two games in the last six seasons.