Gokhman Shoots Furman Into SoCon Semifinals, 1-0
Nov. 2, 2008
Davidson, N.C. - Freshman Katya Gokhman rifled a 19-yard shot past Davidson goalkeeper Jessie Baxa in the 89th minute to net her first career goal and lift Furman to a 1-0 victory over the four-seeded Wildcats in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference Women's Soccer Tournament Sunday evening at Alumni Stadium.
The win advances fifth-seeded Furman into the semifinals of the SoCon Tournament where the Paladins will face top-seed UNC Greensboro at Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., on Friday at 4:30 p.m.
With less than two minutes remaining, freshman Martha Hall found space with the ball at her feet and dribbled down the middle of the field. Hall played the ball wide towards the right corner of the 18-yard box where Gokhman ran onto the pass and laced a shot past Baxa at 88:13 to send Furman into the semifinals next weekend.
"I'm very proud of our team and their overall effort tonight," said Furman coach Andrew Burr. "It was great to see Katya score her first goal, especially in such a critical situation."
Furman (13-6-1) absorbed pressure from the Davidson (10-6-1) attack for much of the second half, but managed to create several chances on the counter attack before breaking through in the final two minutes. Both teams attempted 11 shots while Furman held a 7-4 advantage in shots on goal. The Paladins attempted four corner kicks in each half to build an 8-1 edge in corners over the Wildcats.
Paladin goalkeeper Jessica Smith made four saves to notch her seventh shutout of the season and up her record to 12-3-1 on the season. Baxa saved six shots in the loss for Davidson.