Profs Send Gophers to First Loss of 2014

TOWSON, Md. — It took Goucher only 19 seconds to score its first goal this afternoon, with Erin Reifsnyder (Austin, Texas/St. Andrew's Episcopal) rifling a shot past Rowan's Lindsay Barrie right after the opening draw.

Unfortunately, not much went right for the Gophers afterwards. Becca Wood responded with a pair of goals to ignite the Rowan offense, and she would eventually score eight times to help send Goucher to a 17-5 defeat at frigid Beldon Field.

The Profs (1-0) avenged a 12-11 home defeat to the Gophers (1-1) last season. Wood added an assist to finish with nine points overall in her dominant performance.

Goucher did not manage a second goal until an unassisted effort from Rita Meissner (Yonkers, N.Y./Yonkers) with just over 15 minutes to go in the first half. The Profs took an 8-3 lead into the break, though they had just a 13-11 advantage in shots.

In the second half, however, Rowan took full control of the game, outshooting the Gophers 18-5 and outscoring them by a 9-2 margin. The Profs ended the contest with a 21-11 edge in ground balls. Goucher also struggled throughout the afternoon with its clears, finishing with just a 52.6 percent success rate (10-19).

Five different players scored for the Gophers. Hannah Mae Brown (Pinedale, Wyo./Dunn School), who recorded a goal and an assist, was Goucher's lone multi-point player.

The Gophers will look to get back on track on Saturday afternoon when they travel to Lebanon Valley for a 1 p.m. matchup. The Dutchmen (1-1) came away with a 14-6 victory when the two teams met in Towson last season.