Gophers Stay Perfect in Landmark, Clinch Top Seed

Gophers Host Juniata April 24 in Landmark Semifinal

TOWSON, Md. — Overcoming a slow start in doubles, Goucher recovered to sweep singles play to earn a 7-2 win, moving to 5-0 in conference play, assuring the Gophers of the top seed in the Landmark Conference playoffs.

The team of Addie Maxwell (Southwest Harbor, Maine/Mount Desert Island) andAlex Walsh (Greens Farm, Conn./Staples) earned the only Goucher (11-3, 5-0 Landmark) point in doubles play with a 8-4 win over Jessica Klinger and Brielle Ferlauto at second doubles. It is the pair's sixth straight win together.

Ariel Lin (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central) and Meaghan Lee (Potomac, Md./Winston Churchill) fell to 11-3 on the season together with a 9-8 (8-6) loss to Shelby O'Riley and Abby Hess at top doubles.

The team of Emily Ruff (Easton, Md./Easton) and Kelsey Turner (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Friends) fell to the Susquehanna (10-5, 1-5 Landmark) duo of Ellen Pulsinelle and Jessica Lage 8-5.

The tides turned once singles play got underway as the Gophers took each of the top four singles matches to clinch the victory.

Lin shut out O'Riley at top singles to earn her eighth straight individual win. Lee also earned a measure of revenge in singles with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Hess.

Walsh and Maxwell also took care of their doubles counterparts in singles play. Walsh took care of Klinger 6-2, 6-3 at No. 3 and Maxwell recovered from a first set loss to win 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 at No. 4.

With the match already decided, the final two singles matches went to super tiebreakers to determine winners.

Ruff defeated Pulsinelle 7-6 (9-7), 2-6, 1-0 (10-7) in a hotly contested match at No. 5.
Kirsten Cianci (Bolton, Conn./Bolton) prevailed over Claire Smyth 4-6, 6-1, 1-0 (10-1) to close out the day.

With Goucher's win, the Gophers become the second team to claim the top seed multiple times since the formation of the Landmark Conference, joining Moravian.

The Gophers will host Juniata on Wednesday in the conference semifinal. With a win, the squad would host the Catholic/Scranton victor on Saturday for the championship.