By: Laura Chapman
Assistant Sports Information Director
chapmal@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
Photo: JD Cavrich Photography
HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The Juniata College women's soccer team will look to bounce back this weekend after a heartbreaking loss last Saturday. The Eagles will face Landmark Conference opponent Goucher College in the first half of a league double header with the men's squad. Kick off is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12.
"If you ask anyone on this team what they wanted to do this year, they want to get back to the playoffs and they want to get back by climbing through some opponents that they don't feel they have tested properly," said head coach Scott McKenzie. "Goucher may not be a rival, but this is a rivalry game for us. The team is stinging from last year. Competitors love to answer the bell and last year these kids did not answer the bell at Goucher. They have made it a mission to themselves to be better."
Juniata holds the historical lead 4-2 over Goucher since the establishment of the Landmark. Last year, the Gophers handed the Eagles their worst loss of the season, 5-0 in Towson, Md. In the six conference matchups between the two teams, Juniata has outscored Goucher 18-10 and has only lost on their home field once, in 2011 by a final score of 2-1.
"The danger is all of us making this game too big," added McKenzie. "It's just one of 18 games we play this year. It's an important game. Historically it takes three wins to get into the Landmark playoffs. We did not win our first Landmark game. We have five other games in which to win three. Our energies right now are telling the team, regardless of if this is Goucher, Moravian, Catholic, Susquehanna, or Drew – find three wins. If this is the first one, perfect."
Last season, Goucher finished the year 12-4-2 overall and 2-4 in conference play. The Gophers are 4-7-1 so far this year and 0-1 in Landmark play, suffering a 5-0 loss to reigning conference champions The University of Scranton. Goucher has scored eight goals from six different players through 12 matches and are being led by sophomore Gabby Davis with two goals. Sophomore goalkeeper Juliana Harkavy has spent the majority of time in the net for the Gophers. As a team, Goucher is averaging 1.82 goals against per game.
"I'm expecting confidence [from Goucher]," said McKenzie. "Tati Korba, their head coach, has made the transition from a part-time head coach to a full-time head coach; she has solidified this as her career. She's very good at what she does. She's very good at recruiting. Goucher is going to be organized. Goucher is going to be athletic. But they are playing on our grass. We have to use our home field advantage for all that we can. It's the last time we're going to be home for two weeks. If we want to use home field advantage to get one of three wins then it's Goucher and Drew. The rest we'll have to do on the road."
The Eagles are 8-3 on the year, 0-1 in Landmark, and are looking to return to the conference playoffs for the first time since 2010. Juniata has outscored its opponents 34-12 and is averaging just 1.07 goals against per game. Senior Paula Pryor (Westbrookville, N.Y./Burke Catholic) is leading the team with nine goals and five assists. Sophomore Emily Green (Marietta, Pa./Donegal) and Michaela Lacek (New Tripoli, Pa./Northwestern) eave have five goals to their credit and senior Alicia Snyder (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) is second on the team in assists with four.
"Goucher is also important to these kids because I think they realize they were good enough to win against Scranton," added McKenzie. "Historically Scranton is the best. They are now thinking to themselves, we damn near beat Scranton, and there's absolutely no reason for us to be afraid of the result against Goucher."
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