Gophers Come Up One Goal Short vs. Saints

ARLINGTON, Va. — By scoring twice in the first three minutes after Marymount opened up a 7-4 lead, Goucher left itself with nearly nine minutes to at least produce the game-tying goal.

Just 49 seconds after a goal by Natalie Tinkham provided the Saints with their three-goal advantage, Jessica Borucki (Westminster, Md./North Carroll) answered for the Gophers, sticking her team-leading seventh goal of the season to make it 7-5. An unassisted tally by Jojo Franklin (Denver, Colo./Kent Denver School) with 8:57 remaining left the two teams separated by just one goal.

In what time remained, however, Goucher twice lost possession of the ball because of a turnover. The Gophers did get off one shot, an attempt by Dani McCreary (Upper Marlboro, Md./Bishop McNamara), but after the opposing goalie made the save, the Saints cleared the ball and maintained possession for the final 3:01 to preserve a 7-6 victory. 

With Borucki contributing two of the goals and Franklin the other, Goucher owned a 3-1 lead with less than nine minutes remaining in the first half. Marymount went ahead for the first time on a goal by Michelle Casteel with 2:49 left before halftime and the Saints tacked on an unassisted goal by Bridget Odom with :15 showing on the clock for a 5-3 advantage at the break.

An unassisted goal by Megan Meluskey (Wilmington, Del./Concord) 6:21 into the second half had the Gophers (1-2) down only 5-4, but the home team got that one back two minutes later when Abby Wescott assisted Casteel's third goal of the contest.

Bridget Den Boer (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) went the distance in goal for head coach Ceri Miller's squad. Three of her eight saves were on free-position shots by the Saints (1-2).

Goucher can get back to .500 by winning its next game, a non-conference encounter with Randolph this coming Saturday at noon in Lynchburg, Va. The Gophers defeated the WildCats, 14-1, last season.