Gophers Overmatched by Nationally-Ranked Cardinals

TOWSON, Md. — Going up against a team whose only three defeats in 2015 had come at the hands of nationally-ranked opponents, Goucher was unable to keep pace with No. 13 Catholic at Beldon Field this afternoon.

The Cardinals jumped out to a 13-1 advantage after the opening 30 minutes, and they ultimately came away with a 19-5 victory to remain unbeaten against Landmark opposition.

Anneke Ossorio (Lafayette, Colo./Kent Denver School) and Jojo Franklin (Denver, Colo./Kent Denver School) had two goals apiece for the Gophers (10-5, 2-2 Landmark), who had a three-game winning streak snapped, while Sophie Smith (Lawrenceville, N.J./Madison) added a pair of assists. Franklin also had a game-high seven draw controls, and the freshman midfielder currently ranks third in the Landmark with 45 draws won for the season.

Catholic (10-3, 4-0 Landmark) was held off the scoreboard for the first five minutes of the first half. After Alexis Bosilovic and Lindsay Brophy tallied 20 seconds apart, Ossorio's first goal cut the deficit to 2-1 with 23:32 remaining. The Cardinals, though, then rattled off 12 unanswered strikes to take a commanding lead.

A 24-6 edge in shots for Catholic in the first half was reduced to 9-8 after the intermission, but the Cardinals maintained a double-digit margin on the scoreboard throughout the second frame. Rita Meissner (Yonkers, N.Y./Yonkers) tacked on the fifth goal for the Gophers on a free position effort with 3:48 left on the clock. That goal was Meissner's 30th of the season, and the senior co-captain is already two ahead of her previous career-best with two games left on the schedule.

Stefi Perry (Houston, Texas/Klein) added five ground balls and two caused turnovers on defense for Goucher. Catholic finished the contest with a 31-15 edge in ground balls overall. Brophy totaled two goals, six assists and six ground balls to lead the Cardinals.

Despite today's defeat, the Gophers remain tied with Susquehanna for the fourth and final playoff spot. Those two teams will square off in Selinsgrove, Pa., at 1 p.m. this Saturday.