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(10/27/15 4:53pm)
By Miguel Gonzalez
Staff Writer
The Lions resurged from last week’s loss by defeating NJAC opponents Rowan University on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and William Paterson University on Saturday, Oct. 24. For the week of Sunday, Oct. 18, the New Jersey Athletic Conference named Elizabeth Morrison as the rookie field hockey player of the week for her earned assists during the College’s matches against Ursinus College and Ramapo College.
Freshmen forwards Morrison and Taylor Barrett scored in the second half during the Lions’ 2-1 win against the Rowan University Profs. Both junior goalie Kelly Schlupp and Rowan sophomore goalie Carly DeMarco were challenged by consistent shooting. In the fourth minute, Rowan freshman midfielder Jacqui Rosati’s shot from the penalty corner ricocheted off of Schlupp, but junior defender Lexi Smith rushed in for a defensive save.
Less than 10 minutes later, Rowan senior defender Marisa Marini passed to freshman forward Rachel Galante. Immediately, Galante took a fast shot from the top the circle to put the Profs ahead. The Lions reacted momentarily with aggression and shots from senior midfielder Mikayla Cimilluca, Smith, sophomore forward Alicia Wagner, Morrison and junior defender Shannon Cowles. However, DeMarco saved the majority of them while their defense closed gaps. In the 23rd minute, Schlupp kicked the ball twice to contain the Profs’ offense. In the meantime, the Lions’ offense had trouble scoring as DeMarco saved shots from Barrett, Smith and Wagner.
With another win at stake, the Lions’ offense burst in the second period with 14 shots. From the 35th to the 50th minute, the Lions penetrated the Profs’ defense with shots from Smith, Cowles, Morrison, junior midfielder Danielle Andreula and Cimilluca. Identical to the second period, DeMarco held the Lions scoreless.
In the 52nd minute, Rowan senior forward Sam Browne skipped through the Lions’ defense and approached the box for an uncontested shot. Schlupp miraculously slid toward the shot and recorded a crucial save. Afterward, Barrett scored off a penalty corner with an assist from junior defender Cowles. The Lions’ offense continued to push with more shots from Barrett and Smith. Morrison scored the tiebreaker in the 65th minute after receiving a pass from Smith. Schlupp and the Lions’ defense hung on against the Profs’ offense to secure the 2-1 victory.
During Homecoming weekend the Lions traveled to Wayne, N.J., and blanked out the William Paterson Pioneers, 3-0. The Lions marked the scoreboard first with a goal from Smith in the fourth minute.
Throughout the game the Lions maintained possession and the defense was sparsely challenged. Barrett kept feeding the Lions’ offense with multiple penalty corners. However, Pioneer senior goalie Meg Davies halted the attacks with five saves. In the 15th minute, the Lions broke through Davies when Smith shot to the right corner of the box.
“(Smith) has some of the best stick work I have ever seen and it’s really nice to see all the things she can create on the field due to her game sense and knowledge,” Cimilluca said.
The Lions’ offense stayed dominant in the second half while the defense conceded only one shot. A new face emerged at the penalty corner role as freshman midfielder Caroline Quinn initiated the Lions’ offense with multiple penalty corners. Like the first period, Davies kept foiling the Lions with save after save until the 60th minute. Nevertheless, the Lions extended the lead, 3-0, when Wagner shot into the lower right corner with an assist from freshman midfielder Sidney Padilla.
With the two conference victories, the Lions secured the top-seed and home-field advantage for the upcoming NJAC tournament in November. The Lions head into their last two regular season matches including an away game in Reading, Pa., for an out-of-conference matchup against Albright College on Thursday, Oct. 29. Their last regular season game will be a Halloween matchup on Saturday Oct. 31., against the Kean University Cougars at Lions’ Stadium.
(10/20/15 3:21pm)
By Miguel Gonzalez
Staff Writer
Over the past two weeks, the College’s field hockey team dominated the competition with shutout victories against No. 20 Eastern University, No. 5 Montclair State University and Ramapo College of New Jersey.
For the week of Sunday, Oct. 11, the New Jersey Athletic Conference named Jaclyn Douglas as the offensive player of the week for scoring four goals during the College’s victories against Eastern University and Montclair State University. Last Saturday, the Lions remarkable 27-game winning streak came to a final halt at Collegeville, Pa., where the Ursinus College Bears handed the Lions their first loss of the season.
The No. 8 ranked Bears defeated the College, 2-1, after holding the Lions scoreless in the second period.
The Lions struck first with a penalty corner by freshman forward Taylor Barrett in the eighth minute. Barrett’s pass went off to freshman forward Elizabeth Morrison who gave the ball to junior defender Lexi Smith. Smith executed the shot for the Lions’ only goal of the match. The Bears followed with an equalizer in the 13th minute when senior forward Danielle Stong scored with a pass from senior midfielder Megan Keenan.
In an instant, the Bears’ offense overwhelmed the Lions’ defense with shots from junior forward Amber Steigerwalt and senior forward Devin Brakel. However, junior Lions goalie Kelly Schlupp saved both of the shots.
“She faced some tough shots and was able to stop a lot of them. She’s a great goalkeeper for us,” senior captain Mikayla Cimilluca said.
Despite Schlupp’s saves, the Bears gained the lead when Keenan scored off a penalty corner. Schlupp’s goaltending secured the Lions’ defense for the rest of the first period as Schlupp recorded two more saves.
The second period featured gritty defensive performances from both the Bears and Lions as both teams were held scoreless. During the first 10 minutes, the Bears’ core offense of Stong, Keenan and Steigerwalt challenged the Lions’ defense with multiple shots. Similar to the first period, Schlupp fortified the net with three saves. In the 46th minute, the Lions’ offense countered with a string of penalty corners from Barrett.
Smith attempted to send the match to overtime but her shots were blocked and saved by Bears’ senior goalie Danielle DeSpirito. As time was expiring, the Lions scrambled for a goal with no prevail.
Overall, the Lions’ offense was limited to five shots and nine penalty corners while the Bears’ offense accelerated with 18 shots. Schlupp reinforced the defense with a total of 12 saves.
“Ursinus was a good competitive game for us,” Cimilluca said. “Each game is a learning experience for us. We’ve accomplished a lot this season and we have a great group of girls who work hard each and every day because we all want to reach the ultimate goal of getting to the national championship game.”
Since the Lions’ previous loss to Salisbury University on Sept. 27 of last year, the Lions have proved to be the NCAA Division III’s perennial field hockey team with a national championship, 27 consecutive victories including 16 shutouts, 107 goals scored and more recently, coach Sharon Pfluger’s 1,000th career victory.
The Lions will be looking to start another winning streak when the 10-4 Rowan University Owls visit Lions’ Stadium on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
(10/06/15 9:18pm)
By Miguel Gonzalez
Staff Writer
An overall field hockey record of 546-99-9. An overall lacrosse record of 455-51-1. Twenty NCAA Division III National Championships (11 in lacrosse and nine in field hockey) and now 1,000 career victories. Coach Sharon Pfluger has done more than enough to cement herself as a legend in the College’s Athletics, but her greatest achievement will always be her guidance.
“She creates such a welcoming environment for us and allows us to believe we are capable of achieving greatness,” senior captain Mikayla Cimilluca said.
For the week of Sunday, Sept. 27, the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) named junior defender Lexi Smith as field hockey defensive player of the week for her superb defensive effort during the Lions 3-2 double overtime victory against Salisbury University.
In the beginning of the week, freshman forward Elizabeth Morrison netted in two goals as the Lions pounced with a 4-1 victory against the Manhattanville College Valiants. After a couple of penalty corners from freshman forward Taylor Barrett, Smith scored from the top of the circle at the 27th minute. The Lions offense kept overwhelming the Valiants defense as Smith and Cimilluca recorded multiple shots. However, Valiants goalie Kaitlin Halloran saved every single one of them.
The second period featured more offense from the Valiants. Three minutes in, Smith earned a defensive save for stopping a shot off penalty corner. In the 42nd minute, Morrison capitalized on a rebound to score her first goal as a Lion. The Valiants rebounded quickly when junior defender Bregje Smits shot high from the top of the circle with an assist from senior forward Rylee McGuire.
Nearing the last 10 minutes of the period, Morrison extended the Lions’ lead when her shot deflected into the post, off an assist from Smith. With less than 30 seconds left, senior forward Alicia Wagner scored off a rebound shot, with another assist from Smith. In all, the Lions’ defense limited the Valiants to only three shots, while the offense recorded 19.
With accomplishing Pfluger’s 1,000th career victory in front of the home crowd in mind, the Lions roared through a 6-0 win against the Gwynedd Mercy University Griffins on Thursday, Oct. 1. Junior midfielder Douglas and Smith led the offense with two goals each. In the eighth minute, Smith scored off a penalty corner pass from Douglas.
Wagner, Douglas and Smith followed up with a combined five shots. However, Griffin goalie Samantha Soscia was able to stop every shot. Despite Soscia’s goalkeeping, the Lions penetrated through the net three times for the rest of the period. Within the 24th minute, Douglas scored off an assist from Wagner. Four minutes later, freshman midfielder Sidney Padilla scored a solo goal. Afterward, Douglas immediately scored her second goal of the match. The Lions’ offense continued their dominance in the second half while sophomore goalie Christina Fabiano maintained a shutout. In the 45th minute, junior midfielder Danielle Andreula scored off an assist from Smith.
After a couple of shots from Morrison, Cimilluca and Wagner, Smith scored her second goal of the match with another assist from Douglas. Fabiano recorded three saves as she foiled a later counterattack from the Griffins. The Lions’ offense finished with 22 shots while the defense only allowed eight, with seven combined saves from goalies Kelly Schlupp and Fabiano.
On the road last weekend for their first NJAC Conference matchup, the Lions closed off the Osprey’s offense for a 3-0 win on Saturday, Oct. 3. The Lions were held scoreless in the first period as their offense struggled to find the net despite a series of penalty corners from Douglas.
In the 14th minute, Osprey sophomore goalkeeper Emily Sorochynskyj saved a shot from Barrett. Afterward, Smith merely missed a goal when her shot hit the post. Toward the end of the first period, Osprey goalie Sorochynskyj kept the scoreboard even by saving shots from Morrison and Wagner.
With the game still tied, the Lions broke away with three goals. In the 38th minute, Morrison utilized Douglas’ penalty corner to score from inside the circle. After Barrett substituted for Douglas in the 50th minute, Wagner tipped in a goal with an assist from Smith. Less than a minute later, Morrison extended the College’s lead when she poked in a goal from her own rebound. From there, the Lions challenged the Osprey’s defense with plenty of shots from Morrison, Wagner, Padilla and junior defender Shannon Coweles. Once again, Osprey goalie Sorochynskyj halted the Lions’ offense in a midst of recording 12 saves. In all, the Lions’ offense flourished with 24 shots and 16 penalty corners while the defense did not allow a single shot.
“We’re really doing a good job of playing as a team and using our strengths to our advantage,” Cimilluca said. “We’ve faced some tough competition thus far and we take each game and learn from it so that we can better ourselves.”
Currently, the Lions are on an uncharted 24-game winning streak. At the beginning of October, the team has scored a whopping 39 goals and only conceded five goals. The Lions await for an out-of-conference matchup against the 8-1 Eastern University Eagles on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Lions’ Stadium.
(09/29/15 9:35pm)
By Miguel Gonzalez
Staff Writer
The Lions defeated Salisbury, 3-2, Saturday Sept. 26, at Lions’ Stadium in a double overtime clash between two undefeated teams.
The Lions put themselves up on the scoreboard in the sixth minute of their matchup with Salisbury when junior defender Lexi Smith scored off an assist from freshman forward Taylor Barrett.
For the week of Sunday, Sept. 20, the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) named Smith as the defensive player of the week for her outstanding performances during the Lions’ previous victories against Cabrini College, 6-1, and Messiah College, 1-0.
Meanwhile, Barrett was honored as the College’s student-athlete of the week, for netting in the game-winning goal during the overtime victory against Messiah College.
While the two standouts put the College up early, the Seagulls struck back at the 20th minute as junior forward Becca Rinaca utilized a penalty corner to even the match, 1-1, with an assist from junior defender Annah Brittingham. A minute later, Barrett drove a shot, but it was saved by Salisbury goalie Tressie Windsor. Toward the end of the first period, the Seagulls attempted to break even with shots from Natalie Wilkinson and Courtney Jantzen.
The second period featured a back-and-forth possession from the College and Salisbury as both teams pushed themselves to overtime. The Lions began shooting immediately with shots from junior forward Jaclyn Douglas and freshman forward Elizabeth Morrison. Afterward, junior goalie Kelly Schlupp saved a shot from Seagull Brittingham.
Just minutes later it was Douglas who scored a tiebreaking goal with an assist from Smith. However, the Seagulls counterattacked in the 56th minute, as Brittingham scored with an assist from Hannah Miller. Subsequently, the Seagulls continued to fire shots, but the College’s defense preserved the tie, with another save from Schlupp.
In overtime, both the Seagulls and Lions were held scoreless, while both teams continued to substitute players. In the 77th minute, Douglas set a penalty corner and senior captain Mikayla Cimilluca took a shot with no result, when Seagull goalie Tressie Windsor saved it.
“We played almost 100 minutes of field hockey and in the end it came to who wanted it more,” Cimilluca said.
During the 86th-88th minutes, the Lions stormed through the Seagulls’ defensive end with shots from Cimilluca, Smith and Barrett. Nonetheless, no shot crossed the goal line as Seagull goalie Windsor made three saves.
“Schlupp had a great game,” Cimilluca said. “She made some incredible saves and really kept us in the game.” With time quickly expiring, the Lions needed to prevent a possible shoot-out. At the 98th minute, it was senior forward Alicia Wagner who scored the game-winning goal, deflecting in a shot from Smith off a penalty corner.
The Lions have stayed undefeated this season with a 6-0 start and extended their winning streak to an incredible 21 games. The Lions head down the road to play against out-of-conference opponent Manhattanville College on Tuesday, Sept. 29 in Purchase, N.Y.
(09/23/15 6:11pm)
By Miguel Gonzalez
Staff Writer
For the past week, the Lions captivated their home crowd and extended their winning streak to an astounding 20 games with a 6-1 victory against Cabrini College and an intense 1-0 overtime victory against Messiah College. Freshman midfielder Sidney Padilla was announced as NJAC’s Rookie Field Hockey player of the week for the week of Sept. 13 for her combined four assists during the Lions’ victories against FDU-Florham Campus and Juniata College.
On Tuesday, the College defeated the Cabrini College Cavaliers, 6-1, with a hat-trick from junior midfielder Jaclyn Douglas. The match started off with penalty corners by Douglas and shots from senior captain Mikayla Cimilluca and Padilla. In the third minute, the Lions broke through with a goal by senior forward Alicia Wagner. The next 23 minutes were highlighted by a slew of shots from Douglas, freshman forward Taylor Barrett and junior defender Lexi Smith. The majority of the shots were blocked or saved by Cavalier goalie Taylor Bookman. Despite the attempts, Cabrini College’s Kerry Farrell scored an equalizer with an assist from Taylor Mack in the 26th minute. This was Cabrini College’s only goal of the match, as the Lions counter-attacked when Smith scored with an assist from Douglas at the conclusion of the first period.
The second period demonstrated Douglas’ instrumental role in the Lion’s offense as she completed a hat trick along with an assist. Cimilluca says the team’s chemistry is paying off right now.
“Jaclyn (Douglas) has a great knowledge of the game and I think that shows in her play,” Cimilluca said. “She knew exactly where to be and I think she is a catalyst for the attack.”
The catalyst initiated the Lions’ offense when Cimilluca knocked in a short pass in front of the net to Douglas before she scored in the 39th minute. The Cavaliers counter-attacked momentarily when Cavalier Tiffany Phillips shot three times. Junior goalie Kelly Schlupp saved all of them. In the 53rd minute, Douglas scored her second goal after receiving a short pass from Freshman Forward Elizabeth Morrison. Without delay, the Lions found the net again when Barrett scored with an assist from Douglas. Toward the end, Douglas finished her performance when she scored her third goal of the game at the 66th minute. Altogether, the Lions shot 29 times while withholding the Cavaliers to four shots.
Under the lights of Lions’ Stadium on a Saturday night, the College fought immensely for a hard fought 1-0 overtime victory against the Messiah College Falcons. The first period was a back and forth affair where the Falcons and Lions approached into a stalemate. The Falcons started off with two penalty corners from Taylor Holt. Smith came in with a defensive save after blocking a shot from Falcon Carissa Gehman. By the seventh minute, the Lions attempted to counter with a few penalty corners from Douglas. However, both Smith and Wagner’s shots were blocked. The Lions’ defense gained a firm grip on the Falcon’s offense as they stopped shots from freshman midfielder Kaylor Rosenberry. At the 22nd minute, Douglas launched a shot towards the corner of the net, but Falcon freshman goalie Shelby Landes deflected it with her right foot.
The second period featured more defense and urgency from both the Cavaliers and the Lions as they tried to finish the match with the clock ticking down. Schlupp had a clutch performance as she recorded four saves to maintain the tie. In the meantime, the Lions’ offense struggled to find the net with missed shots from Smith and freshman midfielder Kayla Mosser. At the 64th minute, the Lions’ offense came close to a goal when Wagner’s shot ricocheted off the post. The game proceeded to overtime after the Lions foiled a last minute penalty corner from Falcon Holt.
Heading into overtime for the first time this season, the Lions quickly marked the scoreboard. Morrison attempted to score but Falcon goalie Landes kicked off the shot with her right leg. With Barrett taking penalty corners in place of Douglas, Smith shot a long drive towards the net and Barrett created a signature moment by scoring the game winning goal.
In all, the Lions and Falcons both recorded nine shots while the Lion’s stellar defense was aided by Schlupp’s six saves.
Cimilluca says her team’s defense is what kept them in the game.
“Our defense stepped up huge throughout the entire game,” she said. “Our defense is really emerging as a solid and strong unit. Juniors Lexi Smith and Shannon Cowles’ consistent play was really evident throughout the entire game and they helped our team a lot. Overall, it was nice for the game to finish in our favor and for us to capitalize so early in the overtime period.”
With a 5-0 start to the season, the Lions continue to play at home with a matchup against the Salisbury University Seagulls on Saturday, Sept. 26.