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(09/29/15 9:38pm)
By Otto Gomez
Staff Writer
The Lions got back on track after a tough 3-2 loss against Rutgers-Newark, with a stellar win against Drew University — it was their second win against a ranked opponent this season.
Junior captain, midfielder Nick Costelloe was able to strike first off a pass from senior defenseman Dan McMillan 18 minutes into the game. Costelloe has been the team leader all year, and a huge part of their team chemistry.
“Personally, I believe that the strong start can be attributed to our team chemistry,” Costelloe said. “We’re not just a team. We’re a family and that’s the motto we’ve been following this year. We work hard for each other and that’s where the success has come from.”
A couple of minutes later, freshman midfielder Nick Sample doubled the lead with his third goal of the season.
While the Lions took their two-goal lead into the second half, Drew scored two minutes after play resumed, to cut the deficit in half. It was not until sophomore midfielder Peter Dresch put the game away with a goal of his own in the 75th minute that the game was out of hand. While showing a strong offense, the Lions once again proved to be tough on defense, with junior goalkeeper Jake Nesteruk racking up two saves.
While attempting to continue their fine play, the Lions squared off against Kean University on Saturday, Sept. 26. Although they opened up the game with an unassisted goal from freshman defender Nick Provenzano, the opposing Cougars held themselves together. The Cougars tied the score at the end of the half and took the lead a couple minutes after play resumed. After a very long half of tough defense from both sides, Kean was able to string together a pair of goals in the last 10 minutes to put the game away, 4-1.
While it was a big loss on the scoreboard, it is only the second defeat of the season for the Lions, and Costelloe is not very worried. In fact, he and the entire team are still expecting to play well in the playoffs regardless of this last loss.
“I’m excited with this group and I just hope to continue to bring energy to the team and help grind out wins,” the junior midfielder said. “Going into the playoffs, I think that our team chemistry will allow us to overcome odds on the field. Meaning, I believe that when faced with a tough match in a knockout round, we will pull together to get the win.”
The Lions continue their season against Stockton University on the road on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
(09/23/15 6:02pm)
By Otto Gomez Staff Writer
The men’s soccer team continued their season in Madison, N.J., against Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham on Wednesday, Sept. 16, with a 2-2 draw. The Lions were just ranked 18th in the nation for Division III after starting out the season 5-0-2, while the opposing Devils were 2-3-1.
Although the Devils scored the lone goal of the first half, the Lions quickly surged in the second half to take a 2-1 lead.
Freshman midfielder Nick Sample was able to net an unassisted goal only four minutes into the half. Less than 10 minutes later, sophomore midfielder Peter Dresch scored his third of the season to take the lead for the College.
However, not even 10 minutes later, the Devils evened up the score at two goals a side. Junior forward Thomas Hogue almost won the game with a goal of his own, but came up short in overtime and after two 10-minute overtime periods, the game ended in a draw.
The Lions advanced to play Rutgers-Newark in their first inter-conference game of the season on Saturday, Sept. 19. The team fell to the Scarlet Raiders 3-2, ending their undefeated streak.
Similar to their previous game, the Lions trailed 1-0 at half and managed to tie the game early in the second half.
Freshman defender Nick Provenzano scored his first goal of the season off an assist from Sample. However, a minute and a half earlier, the Lions broke down and let in another quick goal from Rutgers-Newark. Even though Hogue was finally successful this game in scoring a little later off another assist from Sample, the Scarlet Raiders scored a clutch goal right before the end of regulation, giving the Lions their first loss of the season.
“It has been a positive start to the season,” junior forward Sean Etheridge said about their season so far. “We’re going to just keep playing our game and keep doing what has made us successful in the past.”
The Lions look to rebound against Drew University on Wednesday, Sept. 23, when they host them at Lions’ Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
(09/15/15 8:27pm)
By Otto Gomez Staff Writer
The College’s men’s soccer team continued their strong play against Stevens Institute of Technology on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with a 2-1 victory to complete their first tournament of the season. They improved their record to 4-0, and many players are not surprised by their hot start.
“What we’ve done better this year is believe in ourselves more,” junior forward Sean Etheridge said. “It has been a very positive start to the season so far and we can’t wait to carry this momentum into our next game.”
The scoring started 27 minutes into the game when sophomore Peter Dresch charged into the box and redirected a cross from junior Thomas Hogue into the back of the net. However, it didn’t take long for the Ducks to respond. Four minutes later, Ducks senior Joe Cellitti was able to get a shot past Lions junior keeper Jake Nesteruk to even up the score. Lions’ senior midfielder Matthew Ziegler almost broke the tie with an attempt at the end of the half, but it was saved at the last second by Ducks goalie Mike Renna. It wasn’t until there was less than 20 minutes left in regulation time that freshman defender Joerg Jauk moved up to take a direct kick near the Stevens penalty area and nailed a shot inside the near post to take the lead. The 2-1 score held behind the Lions’ defense, anchored by Nesteruk’s three saves.
After defeating the No. 21 ranked in the NJAC, Ducks, the Lions headed to Newark Saturday, Sept. 12, to compete in their second tournament of the season. Facing off against Johns Hopkins University, the game ended in a 3-3 draw. After trailing 1-0 at halftime, Hogue found himself a deflected ball that he would put into the back of the net in the 62nd minute. Three minutes later, junior Nick Costelloe scored his fourth of the season to break the tie on a feed from Dominic Polidoro. The two teams once again scored back to back goals, making the score, 3-2. However, the Blue Jays struck last in the 75th minute to tie everything up at three goals apiece. For the rest of the game, the defenses held strong, not allowing anyone a chance to score. Nesteruk registered six saves after facing 24 total shots.
The Lions finished their tournament on Sunday, Sept. 13 against New York University. Initially falling behind by a goal, the Lions rallied three goals to win. Costelloe took advantage of a penalty kick in the first period to put away his team-leading fifth goal of the season. Hogue put the Lions ahead with an assist from freshman midfielder Nick Sample.
The icing on the cake came with just seven minutes remaining when junior midfielder Clayton Flon scored to put away the win.
The team will head to Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus to take on the Devils on Wednesday Sept. 16, 2015.
(09/09/15 6:44pm)
By Otto Gomez
Staff Writer
The Lions have without a doubt started the season in a very strong way, registering three straight shutout victories. It is no surprise to the players that they have played this way.
“We worked hard during the offseason,” sophomore midfielder Kevin Nelan said. “Last season we weren’t able to achieve some team goals which caused us to change things up during the offseason.”
These changes have clearly led to a different atmosphere in the locker room and on the field.The first win came at home against York College in the season opener by a score of 5-0. This was Coach Nazario’s 200th career win, bringing his career mark to 200-142-41. Now in his 20th season, he expects to continue having the same success he’s experienced and is poised for a very strong season after a hot start.
The Lions got on the board against York late into the first period on a sliding touch goal by junior Mike Schiumo, a ball that was perfectly placed by senior Greg Kaye. The Lions completely broke through in the second half, scoring four goals in speedy fashion. Junior Sean Etheridge started it all with a goal just 10 minutes into the period. Junior Nick Costelloe and freshman Nick Sample then scored almost five minutes apart quickly making the game 4-0. Sophomore Michael Kassak ended the rout by scoring the team’s fifth goal with less than eight minutes to go. While the offense got a lot of the attention, the defense was spectacular as they only let up one shot on goal, saved by junior Jake Nesteruk, who shared the shutout with freshman Joe Jingoli.
The Lions moved on to the Drew University Fall Festival tournament for Labor Day weekend. In their first round matchup versus Staten Island College, defense reigned supreme until sophomore Peter Dresch broke up the scoreless tie with an assist from from juniors Thomas Hogue and Dominic Polidoro. Costelloe scored his second goal of the season to lock up the victory on an assist from Kassak. Nesteruk stayed strong in goal again, registering one save to preserve the victory.
Continuing their strong play in the tournament, the Lions defeated Roanoke College, 2-0. This game they got off to a strong start, scoring 23 minutes because of a Kassak penalty. With less than 12 minutes left in the game, Costelloe came up clutch again, scoring on an assist by senior Jordan Kayal. Nesteruk was a little busier this game, registering five saves en route to his third consecutive shutout.
“We had captain’s practices every Saturday which helped everyone maintain fitness and get touches on the ball but also brought us together to boost team chemistry,” Nelan said.
The team returns home to host Stevens Institute of Technology on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 7:30 p.m.
(08/25/15 9:30pm)
By Otto Gomez
Staff Writer
The men’s soccer team will begin its 2015 season at home on Wednesday, Sept. 2, against York College at 7:30 p.m.
The team, led by Coach George Nazario, aims to improve on a 7-9-2 season from a year ago, an aberration from what has been a stellar coaching career for Nazario. With 12 winning seasons, four NCAA berths and a 1996 national title under his belt, Nazario will be in charge of leading the team in hopes of a rebound season. His first victory this year would give him his 200th career in the program, an incredible feat.
The team brings back a great rising senior class, including starter defensive backs Greg Kaye and Dan McMillan. Together, along with fellow younger players looking to step up this year, they will anchor a defense trying to start the season off on a good note. They will set the tempo for the rest of the team and will try to spark the offense with its strong play.
Junior Sean Etheridge, a forward who is stepping into a much bigger role on offense this year, will be part of the group of players that looks for the defense to get things started. When asked about what the team needs to do to be successful, he responded, “We just need to believe in ourselves and trust each other on the field. We got a few new guys that can definitely impact our style of play in a positive way and overall we just need to keep our heads up and believe in the system and each other.”
The last regular season game for the Lions will be at Rowan University on Wednesday, Oct. 28, and might be the deciding factor for either team to advance to the NJAC tournament.
(02/25/15 7:38pm)
By Otto Gomez
Staff Writer
Having already clinched a playoff spot, the men’s basketball team continued to play well against Kean University on Wednesday, Feb. 18, in Packer Hall. The Lions’ 86-70 win against Kean guaranteed them a home playoff game in the NJAC tournament.
Playing to avenge themselves of their previous loss against Kean and to secure home-court advantage, the Lions got off to a very strong shooting start, leading 14-3 after six minutes. Kean responded, however, with strong three-point shooting, connecting on 15 in total for the game.
The teams went basket for basket for most of the remainder of the half, finishing the break 33-31 in favor of the College. After halftime, the Lions made a big change on defense and started to press Kean, giving them a hard time on offense. The press gave the College an opportunity to create points off turnovers, and 10 minutes into the half, the Lions took a commanding 63-44 lead. Strong shooting and consistent rebounding held the Cougars from coming back in the second half.
Having secured the home court for the first round of the playoffs, the Lions squared off against New Jersey City University on Saturday, Feb. 21. The Gothic Knights were quick right off the gate, hitting five three-point shots in the first 10 minutes, jumping out to a 25-13 lead. While the Lions were able to play better defense during the rest of the half, they still trailed 37-26 at the break. Sophomore Eric Klacik, who finished with 17 points, was able to hit a three-pointer and a mid-range jumper on back to back possessions to make the score 46-42.
However, the Knights quickly responded with another three-pointer, a blow that ignited a quick 12-4 run from which the Lions could not come back. With under one minute left, a three-pointer by senior Jayson Johnson gave him his 21st point of the night and 1,000th point of his career, an accomplishment that was received with a standing ovation from the crowd. This marked the last game of Johnson’s college basketball career, as well as fellow seniors Skyelar Ettin and Alex Fox, both key contributors on the team this year.
This game was also the last for coach Kelly Williams. He will now move into an administrative role at the College as senior associate director of athletics after finishing his best season as head coach of the program.
Sophomore Alex Circlincione, who averaged 13 minutes a game and was fourth on the team in steals, looks to step into a bigger role next season.
“The seniors really set a good example and created a new culture for TCNJ basketball,” Circlincione said. “Even though Coach Williams had been telling us for a few years that we had a special group, I think everyone really bought in this year and actually believed that we could succeed. Now that we know what it takes to be successful in such a competitive conference, hopefully we can carry that into next year.”
Circlincione will look to lead a young squad back to the playoffs next season.
(02/18/15 6:37pm)
By Otto Gomez
Staff Writer
For the first time in six years, the Lions men’s basketball team qualified for the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship Tournament after a 76-71 come-from-behind win against Ramapo College on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
The Lions managed to fight their way back after being down 36 of the possible 40 minutes of the game to defeat the Roadrunners and improve to 13-10. While both teams ended up with the same record after the final whistle, the Lions possessed a better conference record, having swept the Roadrunners in their two-game season series. With only two games left in the regular season, it’s too late for Ramapo to catch up.
While the team was down 10 points in the first half, the Lions showed no sign of giving up and slowly diminished the lead in the second half. They showed their depth on offense as leading scorer, senior Jayson Johnson, dropped 16 points along with nine rebounds. Freshman Eric Murdock, Jr. scored 12 points and dished out five assists, and sophomore Eric Klacik finished with 11 points.
The big story on offense, however, was junior Bobby Brackett, who stepped up in an incredible way with a game-high of 25 points and 11 rebounds.
“This year I haven’t been the main guy to score for us because so many other guys have stepped up throughout the season,” Brackett said. “Against Ramapo, it was just my time to step up, try to be more aggressive and score for us, and it was really nice to get that win.”
With four minutes left in the game, he sank a free throw to even up the score for the first time all day. It was not until very late in the game — when Brackett and Klacik hit a pair of free throws each — that the game was sealed.
The Lions continued their strong play into their matchup with 22nd-ranked William Paterson, a team that beat them 78-60 earlier in the season. In similar fashion to many of their previous games, the team got off to a slow offensive start in the first half, but this time around they were able to pick up the pace right before halftime, leading 38-37 at the break. Johnson led all scorers with 25 points, putting his career total at 964, backed up by 17 points and 11 rebounds from Brackett.
“I definitely make it my main focus every game to rebound the ball,” Brackett said. “The coaches tell us all the time if we outrebound the other team and limit our turnovers, we’ll have a great chance to win. So I really try to make an effort to rebound the ball as much as I can.”
Klacik and freshman Kevin Johnson finished with double digit scoring with 13 and 10 respectively, contributing to the 80-70 win.
The Lions look to finish off the season strong on a high note against Kean University in Packer Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m.
(02/11/15 6:39pm)
By Otto Gomez
Staff Writer
The Lions headed into the week eager to continue their strong play and extend a four game winning streak against NJAC opponents, with games against Rowan University on Wednesday, Feb. 4, and New Jersey City University on Saturday, Feb. 7.
While the entire team and coaching staff has gained a lot of momentum from their hot stretch, coach Kelly Williams ’93 understood that his team must continue to focus and avoid getting too confident.
“Our conference is so competitive, so we must continue to play great basketball on both ends of the court to continue our success over the month,” Williams said. “It is nice to see our guys playing with so much passion and confidence. We understand that we have to focus on the next game and continue to have sharp intense practices to earn a playoff spot.”
However, the Lions came up short against both teams, losing 69-63 against Rowan and 63-58 to NJCU. Facing Rowan, starters senior Jayson Johnson and freshman Eric Murdock, Jr. led the College in scoring with 15 points. Murdock, Jr., a freshman who has started every game this season, continued his impressive play after receiving the NJAC Rookie of the Week award for the week ending on Sunday, Feb. 1.
“As a freshman, I was assigned the roles of being a tough defender and keeping the offense organized. Whatever the team needs to win I am prepared to do,” Murdock, Jr. said. “This helps us maintain good chemistry and makes it easy for me to mesh well with my teammates.”
He has been instrumental in the success of the squad this year, ranking second in assists and averaging third in play time. While Johnson cut the lead to three points very late in the game, the Profs managed to hit their free throws to close the game for sure.
On Saturday, Feb. 7, the Lions traveled to Jersey City looking to shake off their earlier loss. While the game was close throughout, neither team saw a double digit lead all day long, and the Lions took a four-point lead late in the match. That’s when NJCU caught fire, however, scoring the last nine points to secure the five point victory. Junior Bobby Brackett, the team’s leading rebounder, posted another double-double with 14 points and 16 rebounds, and senior Skyelar Ettin added 12 points and six boards in the effort, making up for an uncharacteristic seven-point outing from leading scorer Johnson. While playing solid defense throughout, the entire team struggled shooting, only connecting on 28 percent of their shots.
The team continues their push to the playoffs on the road as they visit Ramapo College on Wednesday, Feb. 11, for a 7:30 p.m. start. They return home to Packer Hall to host William Paterson University on Saturday, Feb. 14.
(02/05/15 12:08am)
Otto Gomez
Staff Writer
The men’s basketball team continued their great play as they defeated conference opponents Richard Stockton and Rutgers-Newark last week.
The team traveled to Galloway to face Stockton and left with a great come-from-behind victory with a score of 66-63. The game featured a very strong performance by junior Bobby Brackett, who in a team-high 36 minutes posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Brackett also converted on a lay-up followed by a free throw with two seconds to go in the game. On the ensuing possession, sophomore Eric Klacik stole the ball to ensure the Lions victory.
The upset over the 13th-ranked Stockton Ospreys was the eighth win in the last 10 games for the Lions, putting them at 11-8 on the regular season, and it gave Richard Stockton only their third loss of the season.
Fresh off a great victory, the Lions kept gaining momentum on their way to their second game of the season with Rutgers-Newark.
Previously on Saturday, Dec. 6, the Lions traveled to Newark only to come away with a 66-56 loss. However, this time playing in Ewing, the result was different.
In front of a great crowd in Packer Hall, the Lions bested the Scarlet Raiders by a convincing score of 74-62. This was a well-rounded victory for the team as it saw contributions from many different players. Freshman guard Erick Murdock, Jr. scored 17 second-half points, senior forward Skyelar Ettin finished with 14 points, including three 3-pointers, and Brackett missed a double-double by one rebound, ending with a statline of 10 points and nine rebounds.
Unlike the previous game, the Lions got off to a great start right off the tip, seizing a 36-25 lead at half and never looking back. While they got great productivity from their offense the entire game, it was the defense that was the game changer in the closing minutes. The Scarlet Raiders were not able to make a field goal from the 5:07 mark until there was under 30 seconds left in the game. Late free throws clinched the home victory for the College.
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, the Lions look to stay hot against NJAC rival Rowan University at home, a squad who bested the Lions 76-59 back on Wednesday, Dec. 10.
(01/30/15 12:21am)
By Otto Gomez
Staff Writer
The Lions, having lost three straight games entering winter break, looked to bounce back against Penn State-Harrisburg on New Year’s Eve in Pennsylvania. The three-week rest period between games seemed to give the team an extra boost, and the Lions came away victorious, 66-58, behind 20 points from senior guard Jayson Johnson.
In the following two weeks, the team returned home to face off against Fairleigh Dickinson-College at Florham, Ramapo College and New Jersey City University, winning each contest by an average of 10 points. During the stretch, Johnson averaged 14.6 points per game on 37 percent shooting. Fellow returning starter, junior forward Bobby Brackett, continued to rebound well, averaging 10 boards over the three games, including a 17 rebound effort against Ramapo College.
The Lions traveled to New York City to square off against the then-10-3 Baruch College Bearcats on Monday, Jan. 12. While the Lions played an overall solid game, the Bearcats were able to come back from a first half deficit to secure the victory, 65-63.
Brackett posted another double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds, but it was not enough to stop the sharp shooting of the Bearcats in the second half. Since that game the team has played inconsistent basketball, beating Kean University away and Rutgers-Camden at home, both by double digits, and surrendering an 18 point defeat to the William Paterson University Bears. Senior forward Skyelar Ettin stepped up during those games to average a team high 16 points and more than one steal a game.
In the last game before classes start, the College played on Saturday, Jan. 24, at Montclair State University, where the Lions were able to pull away with a gritty 65-62 win. The victory put the team at a 6-5 record in NJAC play, good for fourth place tied with Rowan University.
Johnson continued to be the focal point of the Lions offense, scoring 21 points, including a pair of huge free throws at the end of the game. Brackett also had a great game, adding 20 points and 14 rebounds, giving the Lions a force inside when their outside shooting was weak throughout the game.
Perhaps the biggest difference makers were freshmen Erick Murdock, Jr. and Elias Bermudez, who have both started all but one game during the entire season. Murdock, Jr. added needed offense with 11 points, and Bermudez collected a huge offensive rebound and putback with less than two minutes left to permanently give the Lions the lead.
The Lions continue to fight for a playoff spot with their fifth consecutive conference game away against Richard Stockton College on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 6 p.m.
(12/01/14 8:51pm)
In their first game of the NCAA Division III Tournament, the Lions faced off against SUNY New Paltz at Lions Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16. This was another game in which they were not able to get off to a fast start, missing opportunities on the offensive side of the ball that could have produced a couple of goals.
It was not until there were about 10 minutes left in the first half and the Lions got a good look at the net when senior and leading goal scorer Lindsey Hatch was able to bypass the keeper and put up a shot, only for it to be deflected by Hawks defender Colleen Roemer.
But the game was blown wide open in the second half, when Hatch was finally able to get on the board with 20 minutes left in the game. She intercepted a pass, allowing her to knock in her 30th goal of the season.
“I think we just started playing our game and communicating more,” Lions coach Sharon Pfluger said. “Once we started doing that, we started to have more opportunities to have an attack.”
In the next 10 minutes, the Lions found a way to score three more times — once more by Hatch, one by sophomore Danielle Andreula and the third by senior Erin Healy, off a feed from sophomore Lexi Smith.
With the final score at 4-0, the Lions began to prepare for their next game versus Catholic University.
The following day, the Lions scored with 11 minutes left in the first half to advance in the tournament, beating Catholic 1-0.
The goal came off a beautiful pass from Smith, finished with a laser shot from none other than Hatch. This was the second of two very good opportunities the Lions had to score, the former coming from a shot by sophomore Jaclyn Douglas that hit the cross bar.
Often overlooked because of the Lions’ high-powered offense, Schlupp has been fantastic protecting the net this season and showed it particularly in the closing minutes of the quarterfinals game.
With Catholic having been awarded five corners in as many minutes, the Cardinals were bound to get a shot on goal. While missing with the first two, the next three were on target, but all saved by Schlupp, including the last one, a spectacular diving save to keep the game at 1-0 and give Schlupp her fourth shutout of the season.
The Lions will now travel to Lexington, V.A., to face Middlebury College in the semifinal on Saturday, Nov. 22. With a win there, they could possibly face Salisbury University in the final – the only team that bested the Lions – for possible revenge. With a win against Salisbury, the Lions would win their first NCAA Championship since 2011.
“Being with this group of girls is incredible,” Hatch said. “We want to win it again for those girls that are seniors, who won it all as freshman. I think we have a good chance of bringing it back home.”
(11/16/14 3:08am)
After beating Rowan University to lock up the No. 1 seed in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), the Lions faced off against Kean University on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at home in the first game of the tournament.
Sophomore Jaclyn Douglas was able to get on the board for the Lions just two minutes into the game off a shot inside the circle, with the pass coming from junior Mikayla Cimilluca.
The Lions never looked back, scoring two more in the first half by Douglas and senior Lindsey Hatch – who also set the College’s single-season record for assists with her 20th, helping Douglas get her second goal.
The second half continued in the same fashion, with two more goals coming from seniors Victoria Martin and Erin Healy. Kean was able to get in the box score before the closing minutes, heading home with a 5-1 loss.
After their win against Kean, the Lions faced a much tougher task in the NJAC tournament title game against Rowan University. The Profs scored first, with a goal from junior Sam Browne four minutes into the game. But the Lions were able to tie up the game in the last minutes of the half off a goal from sophomore Danielle Andreula, her seventh of the season.
However, it only took 42 seconds for the Profs to regain the lead in the second half, a score that would last until 15 minutes left in the game. Hatch was able to score off a deflection from Andruela, changing the entire momentum of the game. For the rest of the half, the Lions were able to hold off Rowan, particularly because of sophomore goalie Kelly Schlupp.
In sudden death overtime, the teams both fought hard until the last two minutes, when after being awarded a corner, senior Erin Healy was able to deflect her classmate Erin Waller’s shot into the net for the game-winning goal. The great crowd, which was on hand for the game, went crazy, as the entire team rushed onto the field to celebrate.
Coach Sharon Pfluger was just as happy.
“It was a very exciting game,” Pfluger said. “At any point, this game could have went either way. I’m proud of my girls for fighting back. I felt they showed a lot of character and a lot of poise in the tight situations. It was a great game for everyone involved, and both teams should feel proud.”
The Lions received a bye in the first round of the NCAA tournament playoffs and will take on either SUNY New Paltz or Keene State during the second round on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 11 a.m. at Lions Stadium. The College was chosen to host the second and third rounds of tournament, and this is the team’s 31st time qualifying for it.
(11/06/14 3:04am)
The Lions field hockey team was successful this weekend in getting the number one seed in the NJAC tournament, securing home field advantage for future games.
The team faced Rowan University in Glassboro on Saturday, Nov. 1, against a team that was also undefeated in conference play. The Lions knew that they would face a challenge and that they would be going up a team with their same goals.
The College was able to get on the board in the first half off sophomore Lexi Smith’s eighth goal of the season coming off a shot from the right side of the cage that landed in the left corner of the net.
After Smith’s goal, five minutes into the game, both teams were scoreless until 15 minutes to go in the match, when senior Lindsey Hatch punched in her conference-leading 27th goal of the year.
Sophomore Jaclyn Douglas and fellow senior Erin Healy, usual members of the scoring crew for the Lions, were able to get a shot on goal apiece, as well, but were unfortunately unable to connect.
Sophomore goalie Kelly Schlupp was able to record her second shutout of the season behind a very strong defensive effort by the Lions, only allowing one shot on goal.
The top-seed Lions will now look to hit the ground running against the Kean University Cougars on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at Lions Stadium. The Cougars went 3-3 in conference play this season.
(10/31/14 12:26am)
The Lions continued their dominance over fellow New Jersey teams with their fifth win in NJAC conference play against William Paterson on Tuesday, Oct. 21. With one game left in their regular season schedule, the Lions are one step closer to securing the top seed in the upcoming NJAC tournament. The owner of the first seed is awarded home field advantage throughout the tournament, a gain that carries a lot of weight for all teams.
(10/22/14 7:29pm)
The field hockey team was busy in the last couple of weeks registering four victories in four games. The Lions were able to take care of business away against Eastern University by a score of 7-1 on Saturday, Oct. 11, and followed that with two close wins at Montclair State and home against Kean University, both by a score of 2-1.
Scoring early in all three games, the girls got up early and never looked back. The two close games were in fact more lopsided than the score shows, for the team could not capitalize on great runs by the offensive players and let up goals to the opposition in the waning minutes of the game. Senior Lindsey Hatch led the way with four goals over the three games to go along with two assists, and fellow senior Erin Healy netted two for the team off of an incredible 10 shots, as well as dishing out four assists.
On Thursday, Oct. 16, the fourth-ranked Lions faced off against the fifth-ranked Ursinus College Bears at Lions Stadium. Both teams came into the game with a long-winning streak, the College having won five in a row and the Bears winning eight in a row. Unlike their previous games, the Lions did not score first. Ursinus junior Danielle Strong scored three minutes into the game off a cross from junior Samantha Macchio. It wasn’t long until the College responded, however, as sophomore Jaclyn Douglas netted a loose ball to tie up the game six minutes later. The Lions took the lead 10 minutes later with a goal from sophomore Danielle Andreula, who was able to take advantage of a Healy shot that was off target and rebounded right to her for an easy shot.
It was over after the Lions took the lead, scoring two more goals in the second half to definitively put the game out of reach. Sophomore Lexi Smith and Hatch were the scorers of the second half, with the latter off an assist from Healy. The Lions’ goalie, sophomore Kelly Schlupp, had a career game in the net, registering a personal best of 12 saves to keep the Bears from getting on the board more than once.
Coach Pfluger was as proud of her girls as ever, saying they “were not intimidated by the early deficit and just played their game the rest of the way. It’s worked all season and it worked tonight.”
The Lions return to face a New Jersey Athletic Conference team on Tuesday, Oct. 21, when they will host William Paterson University.
(10/07/14 3:59pm)
In their first home game since Tuesday, Sept. 2, the Lions faced the Richard Stockton Ospreys on Tuesday, Sept. 30. An important New Jersey Athletic Conference matchup, the Lions prepared an attempt to take the lead atop the conference with a victory against the Ospreys. However, in atypical fashion for the Lions, they were not able to get off to a strong start to put the game out of reach early, and it was the second half that gave the College a 5-0 win.
The Lions’ lone goal of the first half came about 12 minutes into the game on a score by sophomore Jaclyn Douglas off the assist from senior Lindsey Hatch. While the Lions had many opportunities to score, with credit due to Hatch’s penetration of the Stockton defense, they were not able to convert due to the Ospreys’ defensive saves made by defenders Alexa Massa and Cassie Kirk.
The second half proved to be a different story for the Lions, quickly scoring off Douglas’s second of the game, a beautiful long shot that came down right between the head of the keeper and the top of the crossbar. Hatch then responded with a goal of her own right after, finally able to capitalize on her many shots on goal, with her team leading 15th of the season. The outburst did not stop there, with Douglas completing her second hat trick of the season and junior Mikayla Cimilluca netting her first goal of the season. The Stockton keeper, senior Liz Stankiewicz, had a fantastic night in goal with 14 saves. But the 40-4 shots advantage that the Lions amassed proved to be too much for the Ospreys.
“We were creating a lot of opportunities for ourselves since the beginning of the game, but we just couldn’t capitalize,” Coach Sharon Pfluger said. “Stockton’s defense was really tough all night, and we had some difficulty. Luckily, we worked hard all game, and it worked out in our favor. I’m really proud of them for continuing to work hard even things were not going their way.”
The Lions also faced Albright College at home on Thursday, Oct. 2, to complete their week in their eleventh matchup of the season, coming out with a 7-0 victory to improve to 10-1 on the season.
Here, the Lions were back in usual form, with three goals coming in the first seven and a half minutes. Douglas began the attack with a goal off a Hatch assist, followed by sophomore Danielle Andreula netting one herself. Hatch made it 3-0 with a goal 55 seconds later off assist by senior Erin Healy.
The Lions continued to score, with Healy and Hatch adding two more. It was the same story in the second half, with Douglas scoring her second of the game and Hatch completing another hat trick. Hatch became the second Lion this season to surpass the 100 career points list of the program, following Healy’s entry in the club earlier this season.
The Lions will travel to Eastern University this Tuesday, Oct. 7, after a quiet weekend when they can get some rest.
(10/01/14 5:53pm)
The field hockey team completed its long, seven-game road trip on Saturday, Sept. 27, with a 4-1 win against Gwynedd-Mercy University and a crushing first loss to Salisbury University by a score of 3-1.
The first game, played Tuesday, Sept. 23, against Gwynedd-Mercy, extended the Lions’ win streak to eight games to begin the season. In its usual fashion, the team opened the game with two quick scores — the first came by senior Victoria Martin with the assist from fellow senior Lindsey Hatch. Hatch made it 2-0 about two minutes later with her 14th goal of the season, set up by sophomore Jacyln Douglas.
It was not until the second half that the Lions got on the board again with a great penalty corner shot by sophomore Lexi Smith, her sixth goal of the season, with Hatch racking up yet another assist. The Griffins quickly responded with a goal four minutes later to keep the game close at 3-1, but the Lions put them away with a fourth goal by sophomore Alicia Wagner.
To end the road trip, the third-ranked Lions faced off against second-ranked and also unbeaten Salisbury University. In a tough matchup, the Lions were only down 1-0 after the first half, with the lone goal coming from Becca Rinaca. In the second half, however, the Lions surrendered two more goals from the opposition and were not able to get on the board until the last seconds of the game, with Douglas punching it in for the ninth time this season, with an assist from Hatch.
While the score showed a large margin of victory, the Lions had many opportunities to score, beating the Sea Gulls 16-10 on shot attempts, with a 14-6 advantage in shots on goal. Sea Gulls keeper Rachel Clewer played extremely well with 12 saves.
“We had many opportunities in the Salisbury game … We will learn to capitalize on our chances and add variety to our shot selection,” Coach Sharon Pfluger said. “I believe our team will also learn that every opponent is extremely excited to play us, and we will see their best game.”
This game marked the end of the first half of the season for the Lions, putting them in a great position for the second half. They will play their first home game since early September on Tuesday, Sept. 30, hosting Richard Stockton College at 7:30 p.m. in Lions Stadium.
(09/24/14 6:22pm)
The Lions field hockey team continued to play the same way it has all season: with dominance. The team improved to a perfect 7-0 record after wins against Ramapo College and Messiah College on Tuesday, Sept. 16, and Saturday, Sept. 20, respectively.
On Wednesday, the team got on top early with a goal by senior Erin Healy five minutes into the game, set up by none other than senior Lindsey Hatch. The two have been a lethal combination for the team this year, as they have filled up the stat sheet every single game. This was Healy’s 50th career goal, putting her tenth on the College’s all-time list. Hatch continued to create plays for the offense by setting up sophomore Jaclyn Douglas, as well. As if Hatch had not done enough on the offensive side in the first half, she closed with a pair of goals in a time of a mere five minutes.
In the second half, the Lions did not slow down either, with two goals in the first 11 minutes.
The first was netted by Douglas with an assist from Healy and the second by freshman Lauren O’Keefe off of Hatch’s third assist of the day. Hatch, to finish off the game, completed her hat trick, marking the second time this fall she’s recorded 10 points in a game.
On Saturday, Sept. 20, the Lions faced their toughest opponent of the season in the 13th ranked Messiah Falcons. This game marked the fifth-straight away game the Lions have played, a part of a very difficult eight-game road trip in the beginning of the season.
The Falcons proved to be a formidable opponent, taking a 3-1 lead into the second half. However, quickly after the period started, sophomore Lexi Smith scored to reduce the lead, and minutes later, sophomore Alicia Wagner tied up the game with her first goal as a Lion. With 12 minutes left in the game, Smith came up with a clutch goal off of a penalty corner to give the team their fourth and final goal of the game and to put them up by one. This would end up being the final score, thanks to a very strong performance by the defense in the remaining time of the game.
The Lions will put their perfect record on the line on the road again on Tuesday, Sept. 23, against Gwynedd Mercy University.
(09/18/14 7:40pm)
The Lions continued their dominating streak with an overpowering win against the Cabrini College Cavaliers. But this game started off differently than all the other previous games.
The Lions surrendered a goal early in the first half to give the Cavaliers a quick advantage. The goal was scored by junior Kerry Anne Farrell, her third of the season, with the assist coming from sophomore Kylie McDevitt. The Lions quickly regrouped and did not look back, scoring their first goal nearly 10 minutes later.
It was a strange situation for such a dominating team to be trailing in the game, but they were able to overcome the deficit with a score by senior Erin Healy, her fifth of the season, coming off the assist from fellow seniors Erin Waller and Lindsey Hatch. Healy continued her outstanding play this season by being a great scorer as well as a facilitator on offense, registering the assist on the team’s second goal by Hatch.
“We’re all going into each game as if we are playing a faceless opponent,” Healy said. “It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, we’re concentrating on how we want to play.”
Right before the end of the half, the Lions punched another one in by none other than Healy, coming off the assist from Lexi Smith. Sophomore Kelly Schlupp played very well in goal, with two clutch saves at the end of the half when the Cavaliers still had possession of the ball in the circle.
Jaclyn Douglas, the other star playmaker, finally got on the board in the second half with an assist to Smith. The Lions’ offensive outburst did not stop there, though. Healy completed her hat-trick and Hatch netted her second of the game. Smith finished the game with a great stat sheet, adding another assist on Healy’s last and fourth goal of the night.
Overall, the star players ended with a great line as usual while the defense played well, forcing goalie Schlupp to only make four saves.
The Lions will try to continue their strong play away at Johns Hopkins University on Sunday, Sept. 14.
(09/09/14 7:30pm)
The College’s field hockey team continued its fantastic play with two games against Manhattanville College and Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham this week.
The Lions defeated the Manhattanville Valiants by a score of 8-1. Senior Erin Healy was able to get on the scoreboard early again with a goal three minutes in. This put her at a career total of 101 points for the program, becoming the 17th player in the College’s history to reach the mark of 100 total points.
“It’s not really a personal accomplishment — there’s 11 girls on the field who all work as hard as they can to get to the ball on our offensive end,” Healy said. “It shows how hard everyone on the field works.”
Healy is part of the main scoring group for the Lions, which includes senior Lindsey Hatch, who added two goals and an assist in the game. However, the Lions were in a strange situation after Healy’s first goal. Following a penalty, the Valiants’ Morgan Parsons tied the game with a goal with 18 minutes left in the first half. The Lions quickly shook the goal off and scored eight minutes later with Hatch’s two goals coming off assists from sophomore Jacyln Douglas, who scored a hat trick in the season opener and senior Erin Waller.
After two more goals in the beginning of the second half by Douglas, sophomore Lexi Smith, and a second by Healy, the game was delayed two hours due to lightning. Once the action continued, Hatch finished off the scoring with her pair of goals to make the final score 8-1.
The Lions showed no signs of fatigue during their second game with a very strong outing against Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham. The Lions defeated the now 0-3 Devils by a score of 8-0. Following their game plan of getting off to a very fast start, the Lions scored two goals in the first four minutes, with the scores coming thirty seconds apart.
Two more goals came at the end of the half by the usual suspects, Douglas and Hatch. Following one more goal in the beginning of the half, the Lions began making substitutions to get younger players on the field. As opposed to the first game of the season, the younger players were able to get on the board, with freshman Lauren O’Keefe netting her first career goal.
“Our mentality is to continue to work hard, play well as a cohesive unit and go into each game playing our hearts out,” Healy said.
The team faces Cabrini College on Tuesday, Sept. 9 in Radnor, the home of the Cavaliers.