Gophers See Winning Streak End in Heartbreaking Fashion

Seventh Straight Game Goucher Opens With 2-0 Lead

TOWSON, Md — St. Mary's (Md.) led for only six seconds today, but scored four of the final five goals of the game to sneak away with a 10-9 victory on Beldon Field.

Neither team ever scored three goals in a row as the back-and-forth contest never saw either team grow a lead larger than two goals.

Goucher (6-3) once again started well, getting on the board first with a pair of goals from Erin Reifsnyder (Austin, Texas/St. Andrew's Episcopal) and Hannah Mae Brown (Pinedale, Wyo./Dunn School).

This is the seventh straight game in which the Gophers have scored the game's first two goals.

St. Mary's (3-6) scored next, but the teams alternated the next six goals to end the first half, giving Goucher a 5-3 halftime lead.

The Seahawks scored the first two goals of the second half to tie the game at 5-5, but Reifsnyder responded to give the Gophers the lead again.

That lead held for less than two minutes, but Hannah Khin (Portsmouth, N.H./Portsmouth) once again put the hosts on top, 7-6. Reifsnyder added her third to make it 8-6.

St. Mary's scored the next two to level the score once again at 8-8 with 12:27 remaining.

The score remained level until Rita Meissner (Yonkers, N.Y./Yonkers) struck with 6:18 left, giving the Gophers the edge.

Goucher dodged a bullet when a goal was waved off by Daniella Hanacek that would have leveled the game with 4:52 left due to an illegal follow through.

Attempting to run out the clock, the Gophers lost the ball, leading to two goals by Emily Shafer in the final minute, including the game-winner with :06 showing on the clock.

The Gophers were seeking their first win over the Seahawks since leaving the Capital Athletic Conference in 2007. St. Mary's is now 5-0 since 2007. The Gophers defeated the Seahawks twice in their final year in the CAC.

Goucher, which came into the week ranked ninth in the nation with 13.38 caused turnovers per game, caused 16 turnovers today. Reifsnyder, Regan Foy (Davidsonville Md./The Key School) and Hannah Frallicciardi (Baltimore Md./Pikesville) each led the way with three.

The team was 3-for-6 on free positions, marking the sixth time in nine games this season in which Gophers have converted on at least half of their free position attempts. They have scored at least three FPGs in all but one game this year.