Gophers Knock Off Eagles, Earn Shot at Title

Cooley, Attarha Avenge Earlier Losses to Fontana, Wolenter

HUNTINGDON, Pa. – When Goucher lost to Juniata, 6-3, back on April 5, the Eagles prevailed in two of the three doubles matches and dominated the upper half of the singles competition. But when the two teams clashed today in the semifinals of the 2009 Landmark Conference championship tournament, things were different.

For starters, this time it was the Gophers who emerged from doubles play with a 2-1 lead. Still, without Tanya Cooley (Arlington, Va./Wakefield) and Mouna Attarha (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) beating singles opponents today that they lost to in the earlier match, head coach Sally Baum's squad wouldn't have registered a 5-4 victory over the second-seeded Eagles (13-6) today and wouldn't be headed to Saturday's championship match against Moravian.

Cooley, who suffered a three-set loss to Juniata's Amanda Fontana in the April 5 encounter, posted a convincing 6-3, 6-1 win over her today, providing the Gophers (13-4) with one of the three points they needed in singles play to come put on top. At No. 3, Attarha avenged a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Maggie Wolenter, beating her this time 7-6 (4), 6-0.

Goucher's third win in singles play today was courtesy of Chloe Scott-Giry (Amagansett, N.Y./The Ross School). She ran her record this season to 15-1 by disposing of Caroline Weisser 6-1, 6-3.

Scott-Giry and Attarha were also involved in the two doubles wins they Gophers picked up today. At No. 2, Scott-Giry partnered with Joan Pulupa (Gaithersburg, Md./Richard Montgomery) for an 8-5 triumph over Wolenter and Weisser; at No. 3, Attarha and Mara Bergman (Summit, N.J./Summit) turned back Jenny Wang and Lauren Perow.

The top-seeded Greyhounds earned their spot in the championship match with an 8-1 victory over Scranton today.