Season Recap: Gophers' Playoff Push Falls Short

TOWSON, Md. — For a third consecutive season, only one game stood between Goucher and a spot in the Landmark playoffs. For the third consecutive season, though, that game went against the Gophers, and the program was forced to settle for a sixth-place finish in the standings in 2014.

This fall, the defining game was a home matchup against Drew on Oct. 18. Goucher finished the contest with an 11-6 edge in shots, but the Rangers came away with a 2-1 victory that would eventually allow them to seal the fourth spot in the league's postseason tournament.

"We have higher expectations of ourselves and of this program," head coach Tati Korba said. "This season was disappointing. After two years of just missing out, our expectation was to at least make the playoffs this year. As it turned out, we were one goal short again."

The Gophers ended their conference season with an overtime road victory at Juniata and a 2-1 win over Susquehanna on Senior Day at Beldon Field. Of their seven Landmark games, two went to overtime and six were decided by two goals or fewer.

"We play a tough out of conference schedule to prepare us for conference play," Korba remarked. "For years we have wanted to get to the point where we have the ability to compete in every game on our schedule. We have certainly proven we can do that in the Landmark, now we need to take the next step and start turning more of those close losses into wins."

OFFENSE

Goucher struggled to find the back of the net in 2014, totaling just 15 goals on the season. After beginning with five goals in the first three games, and accumulating a 2-0-1 record during that stretch, the Gophers had only three multi-goal games for the remainder of the year.

"We need to develop more of a finishing mentality," Korba said. "Our whole team needs to get better about building into the attack and looking to pull the trigger instead of searching for that extra pass."

One bright spot was junior midfielder Gaby Davis (New York, N.Y./LaGuardia), who earned Second-Team All-Landmark recognition after tying for the team lead in goals (4) and points (10). Davis, who typically plays as a defensive center midfielder, nevertheless played a key role on the offensive side. Three of her four goals were game-winners, including each of Goucher's conference victories.

"Gaby had a good year for us," Korba commented. "She worked hard on both sides of the ball. In addition to her scoring, there were a number of games where she held things down for us defensively in the midfield."

Stephanie Budrock (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) also jumped up to the team lead with four goals in her sophomore campaign, while Brianna Hite (Port Republic, Md./Calvert) totaled three goals and three assists as a freshman. Senior forward Lindsey Puopolo (Glen Arm, Md./St. Timothy's) closed out her career with three goals and a team-high four assists.

DEFENSE

The Gopher backline of Jessica Leffers (Germantown, Md./Northwest), Anja Opsahl (Silver Spring, Md./Montgomery Blair), Lexi Solazzo (Tolland, Conn./Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts) and Samantha Turner (Vineland, N.J./Vineland) continued to serve as a consistent strength for the team. The foursome started all 17 games and contributed to four shutouts while holding opponents to two goals or fewer in 14 contests.

"Our backline really did a great job this season," Korba said. "They're a fast backline that is tough to beat in the run of play. It's an organized, disciplined group."

Goucher also received a strong defensive effort early on from midfielder Maeve Downey (West Baldwin, Maine/Sacopee Valley). The senior co-captain was named team MVP despite missing nine of the season's last 10 games due to injury.

"Maeve brought a leadership and a defensive presence to the midfield that was difficult to replicate," Korba said. "Losing her was a big blow to the season."

Junior Lexi Rudolph (Kensington, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel) assumed the primary starting role in goal, starting 10 of the 12 games she appeared in. Rudolph finished with a 4-6-1 record, a 1.62 goals-against average and a .778 save percentage.

LOOKING AHEAD

While a season that ended with a 5-11-1 record can only be considered a disappointment, the Gophers can take solace in the knowledge that they remain right on the cusp of Landmark contention. Nine starters are expected to return in 2015, and with the addition of a strong recruiting class to bolster the squad's depth, Korba sees no reason not to set the bar high for next fall.

"Since our upcoming senior class has been here, they've been a goal away from the playoffs every season," she said. "From the minute our season ended, they've had the mindset of, 'we're not going to let this happen again during our senior year.'

"We're looking to add depth, and we're looking for some recruits to come in and contribute right away," Korba concluded. "But we've got solid players returning as well. This is not a time for rebuilding. We're already rebuilt. We just need to finish out the process and take that final step into the playoffs."