Shutout No. 10 Gives Gophers First 10-Win Season Since 1995

Rudolph, Stradtman Combine for Team's 10th Clean Sheet

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — For the first time since 2003, Goucher will finish the year with a winning record after earning its 10th win of the year today, 2-0.

Goucher (10-2-1) has now kept the opposing side scoreless ten times on the year, improving to a 9-0-1 mark in those games.

In today's contest, Liz Stradtman (Westminster, Md./Winters Mill) made her first career appearance in relief of Lexi Rudolph (Kensington, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel) to close out last 5:51 of the game. The two first year players combined for three saves, with Rudolph stopping two shots and Stradtman making a leaping save immediately upon entering the game preventing Penn St. Harrisburg (7-5) from scoring.

Offensively, the Gophers scored both of their goals in the first half.

Off of a throw in, Caroline McDowell (Alfred, N.Y./Alfred-Almond Central) curled a ball into the box from the left wing where she found Sarah Eaby (New Holland, Pa./Lancaster Country Day School) coming through the center of the box. Eaby headed the ball in the net to the keeper's left to break the scoreless deadlock a third of the way through the contest.

Just before halftime, Shay Kettner (Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall) added an insurance goal when she gathered the ball and turned from 25 yards out, chipping a right-footed shot past the diving keeper.

Eaby nearly added an assist in the second half when she cleared the ball over the Nittany Lion defense, finding Sherlanda Buskey (Williamsburg, Va./Jamestown) alone with the keeper down the right wing. Buskey chose to go far-side with her shot, but was denied by an incredible kick save by Mackenzie Gates.

Head coach Tati Korba was pleased to see her team get back on track, saying after the game, "This would have been an easy game for us to look past, but we stayed focused and got the result we needed. We have three conference games in eight days coming up, so now we have to get ready for the stretch run."

The first of those three games takes place this Saturday when the Gophers travel to Susquehanna in a game Korba calls a "must win."