There is no goalie controversy at UMBC.
Redshirt sophomore Connor Gordon will make his second consecutive start at No. 13 Penn on Saturday despite surrendering 13 goals and making eight saves in Saturday's 16-4 loss at No. 6 Johns Hopkins.
Coach Don Zimmerman said Gordon, who underwent knee surgery in the summer and skipped fall workouts and the team's first scrimmage against Virginia in January, is eager to make amends for last week's showing.
"I think Connor would be the first one to tell you that he was disappointed in his performance on Saturday," Zimmerman said Thursday afternoon. "We've got to remember that Connor had surgery in the summer, sat out in the fall, sat out the first scrimmage. So this was his second go, and like any other player who sits, you get rusty.
"Unfortunately, at his position, the smallest mistakes can be magnified because the ball goes in the net. So Connor's going to start for us against Penn. He's proven that he can be a good goalkeeper. I know he cares a lot. We've been working on some little things to try help him get back into the swing of things, and hopefully that will pay off up at Penn."
Gordon, who ranked 12th in Division I in saves per game (11.1) and recorded an 11.49 goals-against average and a .508 save percentage while making all 15 starts last season, left in the third quarter after suffering a cut on his forehead. Freshman David Pisanic replaced him and stopped eight shots while giving up three goals for the Retrievers (0-1).
Zimmerman was impressed by the display put on by Pisanic, a Towson resident and Boys' Latin graduate.
"I think Dave Pisanic came in and did a wonderful job," Zimmerman said. "He made some really nice saves early on, and he was a freshman playing his very first game on Homewood Field, but he didn't show any signs of being nervous or disoriented. He came in and got the job done. But I think it would not be right to all of a sudden put Connor on the shelf considering everything we've discussed up to this point.
"So we're going to give Connor the nod, and we expect him to be a better goalkeeper this Saturday than he was last Saturday. And we know that we have Dave Pisanic ready to go should we need to call him."