Who would have thought that junior midfielder Kaitlin Wooster would have scored the only goal for the Lions against the Pioneers? While head coach Sharon Pfluger didn't know hers would be the only goal, she knew Wooster could be counted on to score.
"It was great being able to put in Kaitlin and having her score the only goal," Pfluger said.
Wooster led the Lions to a 1-0 win over William Paterson University, their first New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game.
"It was definitely a shocking and surprising move by our coach," Wooster said. "But it worked out for the best. We won a conference game which is very important."
Typically a defensive substitute, Wooster was put on offense for senior forward Colleen Stamler in the second half. At 14:52, she scored her first goal for the College with an assist by freshman midfielder Colleen Dougherty.
"I've never practiced there," Wooster said. "And actually when the coaches told me I was subbing in at forward, we all looked at each other and laughed."
The Lions defense shut down the Pioneers, allowing no shots at goal in 70 minutes of play while the Lions tallied 17 shots. Stamler finished with four shots and one goal.
The win also snapped the Pioneers' three-game winning streak. Pioneers senior goalkeeper Kelly Harchetts had kept opponents scoreless in 307:28 minutes of play before Wooster's goal.
"It was definitely a challenging game," Pfluger said. "We could have scored a little more but I'm happy with the win."
The College will be going off to face Ramapo Collge of New Jersey (2-2) on Tuesday at 4 p.m. for their second NJAC game. Ramapo's field hockey team has only been in existence for two years but the Lions aren't taking any chances.
"We're just going to take the game like any other," Pfluger said. "Anyone can beat you."
"Our coach always tells us to never let down and work hard," Stamler said.
The Lions, now 3-2, are beginning to resemble the Lions of past years after losing two to start off the season.
"We're definitely playing more as a team now," Wooster said. "Our communication and passing combinations are much better."
"We're gaining experience with each game" Pfluger said. "I'm happy we opened up our conference with a win."
