Goucher preview
After taking a look at the Division I schools in Maryland, let's take a spin with the Division III teams. Today’s entry is the first of a week-long series taking a look at each of the seven Division III programs in this state according to alphabetical order. Tomorrow's subject will be Hood, but today is Goucher's turn.
Overview: The Gophers have won at least 10 games in each of the last two seasons, reaching the Landmark Conference tournament both times. But each time, the team has fallen short of coming away with its first conference title. The Gophers fell to Drew, 8-5, in the conference tournament final in 2008 and got upset by Scranton, 10-9, in a tournament semifinal last season. "Our goal is to win the Landmark championship," coach Kyle Hannan said. "We've been in a position to win that tournament, and we haven't done it. We need to be one goal better than we have been in the last two years." Capturing the tournament championship this spring would yield even greater benefits: this is the first year the winner of the conference tournament earns an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament.
Reason for optimism: Despite graduating a pair of starters in Alex Walters (53 groundballs) and Andy Nielsen (45 groundballs), the defense could be the foundation for this team. Junior Justin Dunn (39 groundballs) is back, and senior David Jadin is a solid long-stick midfielder. Senior Ben Veldman and freshmen R.J. Lucas and Paul Taylor each have a shot at starting. "That's a pretty good group of long-stick defenders," Hannan said. "I think our defense is playing extremely well, which is nice because that can help you early in the season."
Reason for pessimism: Austin Main's graduation left a big hole in the net. Senior Chris Stricklin played a decent number of minutes last spring, but he is getting pushed by a pair of freshmen in Connor Mishaw and J.J. Sagl. Stricklin probably has the inside track towards starting, but Mishaw and Sagl could step in if Stricklin struggles. "I've said it all along in the preseason that our best position is in the goal because all three of those guys play well," Hannan said. "So it'll be interesting to see who steps up."
Keep an eye on: Replacing two starting midfielders in Brian Hoge (29 goals and eight assists) and Alex Boucher (13, 3) is an arduous task. But Hannan is high on senior Jake Fratella (11, 3) and freshman John Curry teaming up with starter Matt Lynch (16, 12). "We did lose Brian Hoge and Alex Boucher, and those were two very good players," Hannan said. "But I think the guys stepping in for them have a little different playing style, but could be very productive. I really don't feel like we're going to drop off a whole bunch there."
What he said: On graduating six starters, Hannan said. "I feel like the guys that are replacing them have as many game minutes as the starters that left. So we feel fortunate where we don't feel like the cupboard is bare. On paper, it looks like we're devastated, but in reality, I feel like we're in a pretty good place right now."
