Gophers Top Drew, 3-1, Qualify For Landmark Playoffs
Goucher dominated play statistically and jumped out to a 2-0 lead, and were fortunate enough to answer quickly once the Drew Rangers closed the gap to one goal, on the way to a 3-1 victory in Madison, NJ on Drew's senior day.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Goucher
(8-8, 3-4 Landmark)
|
1 | 2 | 3 |
|
Drew
(4-13, 2-5 Landmark)
|
0 | 1 | 1 |
Team Stats
Drew
| Game Statistics | Goucher | Drew |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 16 (12) | 4 (3) |
| Saves | 2 | 9 |
| Fouls | 0 | 0 |
| Penalty Corners | 15 | 4 |
THE STORY: Goucher dominated play statistically and jumped out to a 2-0 lead, and were fortunate enough to answer quickly once the Drew Rangers closed the gap to one goal, on the way to a 3-1 victory in Madison, NJ on Drew's senior day. The win allowed the Gophers to even their final regular season record at 8-8. Drew finishes their season at 4-13. Most importantly, the win placed the Gophers in a tie for fourth place with Juniata College. By virtue of their win over Juniata head-to-head earlier this season, the Gophers qualify for the fourth and final Landmark Conference playoff spot. The field hockey program has won 27 games over the past three years, making Head Coach Megan Williams "proud of these young ladies"and "eager to accept the challenge of a playoff atmosphere".
HOW IT HAPPENED: Eight minutes into the game senior Rachel Crain (Charlotte Hall, MD) scored on a penalty corner, off an assist from fellow senior Annie Carter (Ann Arbor, MI), to give the Gophers the lead, 1-0. That is the way it would stand at halftime. Olivia Dickert (Montville, NJ) scored an unassisted goal fifteen minutes into the second half and the Gophers were sailing along until Madi Sheetz from Drew cut the lead in half five minutes later. Crain scored again four minutes after Sheetz to allow the Gophers to regain control of the momentum and the game.
INSIDE THE BOX: Goucher outshot Drew 16-4 in the game. 12 of those shots were on goal. The Gophers also dominated on penalty corners as they took 15 to Drew's four.
BETWEEN THE POSTS: Because of the large number of Gopher shots, Drew's goalie, Ryann Callaghan, was tested all day as she made 9 saves. Goucher's goalie, Liz Zengel (Smithfield, VA), had a comparably quiet day as only two of the four Drew shots were on goal.
WHAT'S NEXT?: The Gophers will travel to play top-seeded Elizabethtown College on Wednesday, November 2nd at 3:30 pm. The is the second time that Goucher's field hockey program has qualified for the conference playoffs since joining the Landmark ten years ago. In 2007, Goucher lost to Catholic University of America 4-0.