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(04/09/08 4:00pm)
With the rest of their regular season consisting of nothing but New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) doubleheaders, the Lions have their work cut out for them.
"We're a young team and we've made a lot of progress, but we need to keep focus on being one of the top six teams in the conference," head coach Sally Miller said. "Right now, it's all about conference play."
The softball team won four, lost one and tied one this week.
The Lions took two different paths to victory against Richard Stockton University.
In game one, the pitchers took charge as sophomore pitcher Ashley Minervini dueled with Stockton's Kaitlyn Corica in a low-scoring affair.
After two scoreless innings, the Ospreys struck first on a passed ball to make it 1-0. The Lions countered, however, as sophomore infielder Ellen Seavers belted a two-run shot to left center field to make the final score.
Minervini ended up hurling a complete game with nine strikeouts to earn the win.
In the second contest, the Lions focused on offense as sophomore infielder Rachel Greeby scored a run in the first inning on a single. Greeby totaled four hits on the day, and freshman infielder Colleen Cawley added three hits and two RBIs of her own.
Freshman Amy Ullrich cracked a two-run homer in the seventh to top off the scoring for the Lions. It was the first home run of her career.
"Amy can be a really tough hitter," Miller said. "She's been making adjustments to college ball with her swing, and I'm not shocked it's worked out well."
Freshman Alex Sietsma was on the mound for 3.1 innings of scoreless ball before she got hit with a line drive.
"She's going to have a nice bruise on her left arm, but she'll be OK," Miller said.
Minervini came in relief to notch her second win of the day.
Sietsma fared much better in the first doubleheader, in which she threw a one-hitter in a five-inning victory over Haverford College in game two of the double-dip. She is now 4-2 on the year.
"(Sietsma is) pitching at the level we knew and she knew she could pitch," Miller said. "Her pitches were really working at Haverford."
The College's half of the third inning was its biggest in the 8-0 win, as six Lions crossed the plate in the frame. Cawley had the biggest impact on the afternoon as she plated three of her teammates with a monster triple.
Greeby, Seavers and senior catcher Lauren Musacchia contributed in the blowout with two hits apiece, including Musachhia's RBI.
Despite the strong offensive effort in the second game, the first was much closer and the Lions ended up on the wrong side of a 5-4 final score.
The game was lost in the final inning as the Lions gave up two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Minervini suffered the loss after going 6.1 innings, giving up three earned runs on six hits while striking out seven.
The Lions are now 15-10 on the campaign, including a 3-2-1 record in the NJAC.
"We're a good team," Miller said. "We've had a lot of hard-fought close games with tougher teams and a lot of young mistakes. Knowing the talent level we have, I'd expect a better record, but we have learned from those mistakes. We're going in the right direction."
On Monday, the Lions won one game and tied the other against the Kean University Cougars. The tie was a dual shutout.
The Lions are scheduled to take the field Saturday as they host Montclair State University for yet another NJAC doubleheader. The first game is slated for a noon start.
(04/02/08 4:00pm)
The College played in three separate doubleheaders last week. The Lions were swept in one, swept their opponent in the other and split the third.
The first doubleheader occurred at Muhlenberg College as the Lions swept the Mules in two contests.
Game one was an extra-inning affair, as the Lions came out on top 2-1. The lone two runs by the Lions were both unearned, including the winning run, which was scored by freshman infielder Kathy Sikora.
Sophomore Ashley Minervini kept the game close as she hurled a complete game four-hitter, allowing only one unearned run while striking out five batters.
"I am happy about my performance, but there is always room for improvement," Minervini said. "The pitching staff as a whole worked very hard and made great strides as far as experience and confidence."
The nightcap was a completely different game, as the College poured on the offense in a 12-1 rout. Nine of those runs were scored in the third inning.
Senior infielder/outfielder Christina Lizzi led the onslaught as she went 3-for-4 with four RBIs, while Sikora added a 2-for-3 day of her own that included three RBIs.
"It was one of our better performances on the year, if not the best," junior catcher Kelly Armstrong said.
After heading home, the Lions dropped both games of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) double-dip with the No. 8 Roadrunners of Ramapo College.
The Roadrunners took the first matchup 6-4. They went up early, grabbing two runs in the second. After the Lions cut the deficit in half in the third, the Roadrunners took it to them in the fifth, piling on three runs to take the lead for good.
In the second game, the result was the same. This time, however, the Lions were blanked 2-0.
The College only managed six hits on the game, including two by sophomore infielder Rachel Greeby.
"We went into the games with nothing to lose, and we knew we had the ability to beat them," sophomore outfielder Danielle Hagel, who belted a solo home run in game one to put the Lions within one run, said. "I hope we get to see them again in the postseason because I know we can beat them."
Hagel's confidence translated partially into the result of the third two-game set, as the College split with Drew University at Lions' park on Sunday.
The Rangers claimed victory in the first game 6-2. In the sixth inning, they broke open a 2-2 tie by bringing in four runs.
The Lions got redemption as they took the final contest 5-1. The Rangers jumped out early after their half of the first inning, but the Lions came back after Hagel smacked a sacrifice fly to knot the game up in the third. In the fourth, the College took the lead for good as they added four runs that inning.
Greeby contributed to the offensive once again, scoring two runs on a single. Sikora and freshman infielder Colleen Cawley each helped out with two hits apiece.
Freshman pitcher Alex Sietsma notched her third win on the campaign with a complete game four-hitter.
"We should have won all six games, and I feel like we should be playing a lot better," Hagel said. "We are so talented, but we just aren't playing to win. We're playing to do well, but we need to play to win."
The Lions head back to work on Thursday, as they head to Pennsylvania to face Haverford College in a 3 p.m. start.
(03/26/08 4:00pm)
The softball team went one up and one down last weekend as it took care of Ithaca College before falling to Salisbury University in the final game of the Salisbury University Invitational in Maryland.
First, the Lions handed the Bombers of Ithaca an opening round loss, 9-4. They were led offensively by sophomore infielder Rachel Greeby and sophomore outfielder Danielle Hagel, who each drove in three runs early.
The team jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead in the first three innings.
"Before the Ithaca game we had a chance to watch them play against Salisbury," junior catcher Kelly Armstrong said. "When it was game time, we knew what it was going to take, so our at-bats were aggressive and the intensity level was high."
"Everyone came out hungry," she added.
After Ithaca pulled to within three with a four-run sixth inning, the College piled on two more runs of its own to make the final score.
On the mound, sophomore pitcher Ashley Minervini notched the victory after giving up three earned runs on four hits while striking out two over five innings. She now stands at 5-2 on the year.
Freshman pitcher Jamie Moir finished up the game for the Lions as she hurled two innings of one-hit softball.
"Overall, we came out great in the first game," Hagel said. "We just became too relaxed and lost out intensity as the day went on."
The Lions were defeated by the Sea Gulls of Salisbury 6-2 later that afternoon.
The Sea Gulls led for most of the game, but the Lions tied it up at two in the fifth inning after Armstrong scored on a wild pitch after a fielder's choice. She also belted her first career home run in the third.
"It was one of my better performances on the year, if not the best," Armstrong said. "But I would much rather have an average day with a win then a great day with a loss."
Freshman pitcher Alex Sietsma took the loss, her first on the season. The young hurler tossed 5 1/3 innings, yielding four earned runs, three hits and five strikeouts.
With the loss, the Lions are now 8-6 overall on the campaign.
"We're 8-6, which is good but not reflective of how we are playing," Hagel said. "We had a lot of heartbreaking losses."
"I was expecting to be in a better position," Hagel continued, "but I'm not disappointed at all because as a team, we are continually gaining a lot of experience."
Many of her teammates agree with this sentiment. Armstrong said she feels the squad is much more talented than its record shows.
"Our record definitely doesn't depict the amount of talent and potential this team has as a whole," Armstrong said. "If we consistently stay aggressive I can see our win column steadily increasing over the next month and a half."
The team will begin the aforementioned stretch today as it travels to Allentown, Pa., to face Muhlenberg College at 3 p.m.
The Lions then head to Moravian College tomorrow to have their double-header at 3 p.m. The games were postponed from March 18.
(03/19/08 4:00pm)
The softball team started the season up in the win column as it took seven out of 12 games under the sun in Clermont, Fla., last week.
The Lions had an up-and-down road trip as they had both a five-game winning streak and a three-game losing streak.
The visit to the Sunshine State was opened with back-to-back losses to the University of Rochester in a doubleheader. The Yellow Jackets won both contests by one run each, winning 5-4 and 3-2 despite the Lions leading much of each game.
Late-game let-ups carried over to the next day as the Pennsylvania State University-Behrend Lions tallied two unearned earns in a 4-1 victory over the College.
The overall pitching performance by the College in those games was encouraging. Despite picking up two losses, sophomore pitcher Ashley Minervini was solid in her two outings, giving up seven hits and three earned runs in over 11 innings of work.
"I am happy about my performance, but there is always room for improvement," Minervini said. "The pitching staff as a whole worked very hard and made great strides as far as experience and confidence."
Some members of the pitching staff are newcomers to the squad. Freshmen Jamie Moir, Danielle Bertscha and Alex Sietsma have solidified the Lions' rotation by injecting it with talented youth.
The three young guns had solid outings, including Bertscha and Siestma combining on a five-inning no-hitter against Daniel Webster College for a 10-0 rout.
Several Lions had two hits in the blowout, including Sietsma, sophomore outfielder Danielle Hagel, sophomore infielder Ellen Seavers and freshman infielder Colleen Cawley.
The win over Daniel Webster was the start of the Lions' five-game win-streak, a streak in which the Lions rolled off a combined 21 runs. Minervini believes the barrage of runs coupled with the strength of pitching kept the tempo of the games in the College's favor.
"One of our goals in Florida was to maintain control of the game," Minervini said. "All of our games were really close, and so the games we pulled out were the ones we had the drive and determination throughout all seven innings."
After winning five games, the team dropped two in heartbreaking fashion, as both losses were by one run.
The losses constituted the Lions' third of four consecutive "streaks" in Florida.
"The streaking was just a few instances in which we got comfortable and let the game play out itself," Minervini said.
The Lions were determined to finish positively in Florida. The team pumped out a combined 11 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham.
Senior infielder/outfielder Christina Lizzi led the attack with a monstrous triple and three total runs scored on the day. She is currently batting .294 with 10 hits, one home run and four RBIs.
Seavers also made a contribution, as she singled and scored in the first game of the doubleheader and scored once again in the second.
Overall, Seavers is batting .400 with 14 hits, nine runs scored and two RBIs.
While it seemed everyone did her share of work, the players were not satisfied with going two games over .500 to start the season.
"Our team has great chemistry and we are a family on and off the field," Minervini said. "The record itself does not reflect the effort our team as a whole put into our trip to Florida. Florida enabled more cohesiveness on the field, and we worked out the kinks we needed to."
Next, the Lions head to Salisbury, Md., to play Ithaca College on Saturday at noon before going head-to-head with host Salisbury University at 2 p.m.
(03/19/08 4:00pm)
The Lions' men and women had a subpar trip to California last week as both teams went a combined 2-9 overall.
The men dropped their first contest to the University of Redlands 8-1. Sophomore Jeremy Eckhardt was the lone winner for the College in his singles contest after his opponent retired in the second set.
The lone victory out west came when the No. 25 Lions upset the 10th-ranked Bowdoin College Polar Bears by a final score of 5-4. The winning effort was led by senior Roger Mosteller, who triumphed in both the singles and doubles contests. His fifth singles win was the match that gave the College the 'W'.
Eckhardt also had another solid outing, as he notched a singles win in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, while prevailing with senior teammate Eric Ferriere in the key second doubles match 9-8 (4).
Following the win against Bowdoin, the men dropped their next two team events at the Pomona Pitzer College's second annual Stag Hen Invitational tournament.
The College was edged by ninth-ranked Trinity University (Texas) 5-4. Seniors Mosteller and Michael Klimchak picked up singles wins for the Lions and then combined on a decisive first doubles win 8-6.
In the second day of the tournament, the men got by Pomona Pitzer 5-4 before falling to Whitman College 5-1.
On the afternoon, the Lions won two out of three doubles matches against the Pomona Pitzer Sagehens, including triumphs by the duos of Eckhardt and Ferriere, 9-7, and junior James Vance with freshman Jonathan Yu, 8-6. The Lions' lone win against Whitman came when Eckhardt and Ferriere won yet another doubles match 8-6.
After the West Coast swing, the Lions men brought home a 4-3 overall record.
As for the women, they had a much more difficult time, as the No. 17-ranked Lions dropped all four of their team events.
The University of Redlands took down the College first, 8-1. The Lions found little success, only winning one doubles match.
The Lions were upset by 26th-ranked Bowdoin College 6-3, despite a superb effort by sophomore Stefanie Haar. She picked up a huge doubles win with junior Haley Kutner before nabbing a victory in her singles match in straight sets 6-2, 6-4. The tandem is 4-1 on the year.
Pomona Pitzer's women did what their men could not do, beating the College, 8-1. The Lions were swept in the doubles matches, and their only win came at the hands of Kutner, 6-4, 6-1.
Finally, the hardest blow hit the College women when they were swept 9-0 by the No. 2-ranked powerhouse of Amherst University. There was not much to look positively on, as the Lions lost all three doubles matches and all six singles contests.
The ladies are now 6-3 overall on the campaign.
Both the men's and women's teams are not competing again until March 29 when they head to Canton, N.Y., to take on St. Lawrence University.
(03/05/08 5:00pm)
The College rolled through the competition on its way to the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship, but they hit a road block in the Cougars of Kean University. The Cougars downed the Lions 70-61 at a rowdy Packer Hall Friday evening to earn their 12th league title since they won the first NJAC tournament in 1983.
The Lions still have hope, however, as they were granted an at-large "C" bid for the NCAA Division III Tournament to take place later this week.
"We have a good shot at getting in as much as anyone else," junior center Hillary Klimowicz said before she found out their bid prospect had been decided. "In the long term I'd rather win the NCAAs, but (the NJAC Championship) is what we wanted to win right now."
Five Cougars scored in double figures, including junior guards Melissa Beyruti and Ebony Jackson. The backcourt tandem led a lightning-quick attack, as they combined on 27 points, eight assists and five steals.
"In the last seven minutes of the first half, they got too many quick baskets in transition," said head coach Dawn Henderson, who had won the 2007-2008 NJAC Coach of the Year days earlier. "When you take a bad shot or you commit a turnover, you're only helping their transition game, and that's what happened during that time."
"We couldn't stop it," she added, "and that was the difference in the game."
The Cougars' fast-paced offense was a huge part of their game, but the key matchup in the contest had to be the Cougars' stifling defense going head-to-head with the high-octane offense of the Lions for the third time this year. Kean's rugged play on the defensive end kept them ahead the entire game, including a dominant 36-19 halftime lead.
"We shot 22 percent from the floor when we normally shoot 40 percent," Henderson said. "Did we get tentative because of their defense? Sure. But I'm really happy how we played through it in the second half."
The Lions did play through the deficit, but not before the Cougars continued to increase their lead to 20 points as the second half opened. The Lions fought back and made it as close as eight points, but every time it seemed they would go on a run, the Cougars continued their onslaught.
"It's very disappointing," Klimowicz, who had a career-high 28 points and 17 boards in the loss, said. "We don't want this season to be over, and it's sad, but I think we definitely left it all out there tonight."
Adding to the 2007-2008 NJAC Player of the Year's effort was senior guard/forward Sara Best, who dropped 11 points on the evening, while NJAC Rookie of the Year Kelsey Kutch added eight points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
"These girls are warriors," Henderson said. "They were exhausted and they just kept fighting against those big bodies going up against them."
The aforementioned warriors got to host the contest against Kean after soundly defeating the Red Hawks of Montclair State University 74-52 Wednesday night.
The College's 19-point lead at the half held up nicely, as three Lions scored in double-digits and the team shot 50 percent from the field.
"We got sloppy in the second half, but we never backed down," Henderson said. "It's a testament to our team and how we are able to close out games."
The Lions will look to close out game No. 1 of their NCAA tournament quest as they head to the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va. The College will first play the Bears of Bridgewater College on March 7. This is the first round of the 63-team NCAA Division III Tournament.
(02/27/08 5:00pm)
The Lions had an eventful week as their best scorer, junior center Hillary Klimowicz, reached quadruple digits in career points and the team took sole possession of first place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) South Division.
The College claimed the division title and a first-round playoff bye with a victory over Rutgers University-Camden Saturday and Kean University's upset loss at Rowan University the same day.
"We were so excited when we heard Kean had lost to Rowan," senior guard/forward Sara Best said. "It's a real confidence booster and great to know we have home-court advantage."
The 84-46 win over the Scarlet Raptors marked the Lions' seventh win in a row.
The Lions' offense had five players score in double figures, led by Klimowicz, who scored a career-best 24 points and had 10 rebounds to mark her 19th double-double of the year.
Sophomore center Alexandra Gregorek had a double-double of her own as she posted 13 points and 10 boards on the day. Junior guard Alyssa Michella and freshman forward Kelsey Kutch added to the onslaught with 15 points each.
"We handled our offense very well," head coach Dawn Henderson said. "Everyone got involved, and we were certainly more focused than last game."
Klimowicz reached her 1,000th collegiate point in the College's 74-61 win over Rowan University.
The Lions' center reached the echelon midway through the first half and received a standing ovation after scoring the milestone bucket.
"I really liked how they honored this milestone in my life," Klimowicz said. "I looked around and saw my teammates and our fans standing up and clapping for me, which really touched me. It was a very special night and it really does feel good to have achieved it at home."
Klimowicz was not the only Lion honored Wednesday night, however, as "Senior Night" marked the final regular-season home game for forward Sara Best. Best finished the night with seven points, six boards and five assists, and concluded her regular-season career with 693 points, 239 rebounds and 136 assists.
"It felt really great being honored at Senior Night for all the hard work put in over the years," Best said. "The fact that I'm the only senior just proves how strong this team is going to continue to be in the future, and I'm so glad to have been able to be around this amazing group of girls all these years."
One member of this amazing group is junior guard Lisa Koch, who led all scorers with a career-high 19 points, including five baskets from beyond the arc.
Adding to the effort, the Lions' defense held the Profs to less than 35 percent shooting from the floor and less than 15 percent from long range.
"Defensively, we struggled in the first five minutes of the second half," Henderson said. "We did not execute during that time, but we closed well and definitely finished strong."
The Lions ended the regular season 20-5 overall, but Henderson says the battle is far from over.
"We're looking to win," Henderson said. "We were tied for first, and now we're just waiting to see who our next opponent is. We're going to come to play."
The Lions begin their playoff push at home today at 7 p.m. as they take on the Red Hawks of Montclair State University.
(02/20/08 5:00pm)
In an emotionally charged week, the Lions downed top rival Kean University while raising breast cancer awareness through the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Think Pink Initiative. The team also defeated Richard Stockton University, placing the Lions in a tie atop the heated New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) South Division.
Garbed in pink warmup shirts and shoelaces, the Lions pulled off the huge victory over the Cougars of Kean 79-71. The game was the first loss by Kean in its last 17 games and was the fourth win in a row by the College.
"It's a good confidence booster for our team," freshman forward Kelsey Kutch said.
The Wednesday night thriller began with much physical play, as the Lions jumped out to a 15-4 lead through the opening five minutes.
Kean's stifling defense, however, changed the momentum, and after forcing several bad passes, the Cougars brought themselves as close as four points. They ended the half trailing 35-29.
Kean took control in the second half, tying the game at 51 with less than 10 minutes left. In that same time frame, the Cougars' defense put themselves in the penalty, and the Lions had over nine minutes in the bonus.
"Free throws were huge down the stretch," head coach Dawn Henderson said. "We shot 33-of-39 from the line, and that is the kind of efficiency we want from there."
Looking to continue the team's high-efficiency expectations, Kutch led the party from the charity stripe, sinking all 12 of her free throws. She ended the game with 18 points, four rebounds and three steals.
The standout rookie believes her offense is enhanced by a more complete personal performance.
"It's nice to score, but I worry more about playing good defense because everyone on our team can score," Kutch said. "So if I can pick it up on defense, my offense just feeds from that."
Junior center Hillary Klimowicz went 9-of-10 from the foul line en route to a 19-point, 14-rebound, six-block performance.
Senior guard/forward Sara Best nailed two free throws of her own to ice the game. Best contributed 17 points total to the Lions' victorious effort.
"It was an all-around great whole game," Henderson said. "A win against our biggest rivals in a very physical competition is very satisfying."
The Lions did damage to the Cougars in their next game as they downed the Ospreys of Richard Stockton College on Saturday 58-32.
With the win, the Lions officially tied Kean in the NJAC South Division with a 9-2 record.
Klimowicz led the way with her 18th double-double of the campaign, including 18 points and 16 boards.
Sophomore center Alexandra Gregorek added an important offensive output as she netted 15 points of her own, while junior guard Alyssa Michella nabbed 10 for the team.
The Lions shot an impressive 56 percent from the field in the second half.
"It took awhile for us to get into the flow against Stockton, but after the first few minutes, everyone seemed to get settled and involved," sophomore guard Karen Lassoni said.
"We were on a high from beating Kean," she continued, "but it meant nothing if we didn't win this game and win out the rest of the year."
The Lions will try to fulfill that goal starting tonight at Packer Hall as they play host to NJAC opponent Rowan University in a 6 p.m. start and travel to Rutgers University-Camden to end the regular season on Saturday at 1 p.m.
After the Lions' two final regular-season games, the team will begin its postseason quest for the conference title on Monday in the first round of the NJAC playoffs.
(02/13/08 5:00pm)
The Lions have proven they can take complete control of a game. Last Saturday at the Bradley Center in Mahwah, N.J., was yet another example of their dominance.
The College routed the Roadrunners of Ramapo College 74-39. This game marked the Lions' third win in a row and their 10th win in their last 12 contests.
"We are confident as a team right now," head coach Dawn Henderson said. "We're looking to be undefeated in February and to get to the playoffs, and we're taking it one game at a time."
The College's dominance began in the first half. Ramapo took a 3-2 advantage after sinking a three-pointer, but the Lions jumped out to a 21-point lead by the half's end.
"The team knows what they need to do to be successful," Henderson said. "As long as we do those things on offense and especially on defense, then our focus is in the right place."
The Roadrunners were held to zero field goals for the next eight minutes following their only lead of the game. Several double-digit runs and 14 Roadrunner turnovers later, the Lions entered intermission leading 36-15.
The Lions held the Roadrunners to less than 24 percent shooting from the floor throughout the game.
"We try to focus on defense," Henderson said. "If we can take care of business there, then we'll be fine."
Junior center Hillary Klimowicz took charge for the Lions on offense overall, as she poured in 23 points on an impressive 10-of-12 shooting. Freshman forward Kelsey Kutch also had a solid game, as she netted 10 points of her own along with five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
"On offense, we've been focusing on running our plays and looking for weaknesses in the opposing team's defense," senior guard/forward Sara Best said. "Ramapo didn't have the height we have, so we used that to our advantage by looking down low and feeding the posts."
The all-around team effort did not stop there as sophomore center Alexandra Gregorek dropped in eight points along with a game-high three blocks. Alyssa Michella had an excellent game as well with nine points, six steals and two assists.
With the win, the Lions have moved to 7-2 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and 16-5 overall.
Conversely, the Roadrunners failed to obtain their first NJAC win in their 10th attempt.
"We played well, and we're trying not to look forward but we know we've got Kean (University) on the schedule," Henderson said. "We lost the first time, but when you play a team for the second time, the whole game changes."
The Lions will look for retribution in their next contest, as the College hosts Kean in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Think Pink Initiative Tournament tonight at 6 p.m. in Packer Hall.
(02/06/08 5:00pm)
Ask head coach Dawn Henderson what type of win she prefers and she'll tell you the same thing every time:
If the little things are done right, the type of win doesn't matter.
"As long as we do what we're supposed to do, then we should be able to win," Henderson said.
The Lions took their coach's words to heart last Wednesday, as they recorded their biggest win of the year over the Scarlet Raptors of Rutgers University-Camden at Packer Hall.
The Lions took down the Scarlet Raptors by a final score of 67-29.
"Obviously, these types of wins are nice in knowing you've got it in the bag and you take them any way you can," Henderson continued, "but it's even better if we execute on the court as well."
The loss was the worst of the year for the Scarlet Raptors, as they were held to their lowest point total in a half all season, a miniscule nine points on 10 percent shooting.
It also marked the lowest point total the Lions allowed all season.
"Our defense has really improved since the beginning of the season and that's been showing in a lot of our games," senior guard/forward Sara Best, who scored 14 points in the win, said. "We've been out-rebounding most of the teams we've played as well, and it shows."
Junior center Hillary Klimowicz once again paced the Lions' explosive offense, as she recorded her 15th double-double of the season with 16 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots.
She also reached the 900 career points mark, including her 275 points scored at St. Joseph's University.
When asked about her milestone achievement, Klimowicz gave most of the credit to to her fellow players.
"It's pretty exciting, but I don't think about points too much," Klimowicz said.
"This mostly means that the guards are doing a good job of getting me the ball," she continued.
The veteran Klimowicz had help on the offensive end from one of the young Lions, freshman forward Kelsey Kutch, who netted 15 total points.
Sophomore center Alexandra Gregorek also contributed for the College, as she posted a 10-point and seven-rebound performance.
With everyone putting in their fair share in the points category, Henderson wanted to emphasize they did not want to "run the score up."
"We were just pushing the ball and trying to work our offense," she said. "We did not want to try and show up the other team in any way whatsoever."
The Lions provided yet another blowout in their second game of the week.
The College soundly defeated New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) rival New Jersey City University (NJCU) 62-41, behind Klimowicz's 23 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks on the night.
Again, Klimowicz passed the credit to those who have helped her achieve on the court.
"Everyone on the court does a solid job setting me up for success in the games," Klimowicz said.
"It's easy to put the ball in the hoop when I receive a perfect pass from a guard on the wing or a high-low pass from the other forward in the game," she added.
With the win, the Lions have reeled off victories in nine of their last 11 contests and are now 6-2 in the NJAC and 15-5 overall.
The College showed that defense is just as important on the court, as they combined on eight blocks while holding NJCU to 22.4 percent shooting from the floor.
At one point, NJCU went 13:47 without a bucket.
"The idea is that a team should only be able to get one shot off a possession, if that, against us," Klimowicz said. "With that (mentality), defense is a do-or-die aspect of the game for our team."
The Lions are scheduled to head back on the road Saturday, Feb. 9, as the College goes head-to-head with the Roadrunners of Ramapo College.
The game is slated for a 1 p.m. start.
(01/30/08 5:00pm)
The women's basketball team split their twin bill, taking down Rowan University 75-50 before falling to William Paterson University 71-67.
The Lions first traveled to Glassboro, N.J., and soundly defeated the Profs by 25 points on Wednesday night. The Lions trailed 7-4 early in the game, but after going on a 9-0 run they never looked back.
"The bottom line is we stress defense," head coach Dawn Henderson said. "We try to create opportunities for us on that end of the floor. Steals, blocks, turnovers are always what we're looking for, and I think that is a key reason why we played so well against this good of a team."
Junior center Hillary Klimowicz once again led the charge, scoring a team-high 20 points while nabbing 15 boards and swatting away four shots for the victors. Klimowicz seemed pleased with her performance, but mostly because of the team's overall play.
"Rowan was a great game for us because our inside-outside game really came together," Klimowicz said. "(Junior guard Alyssa Michella) was hot from the three-point line, helping to take away the pressure defense from the posts, which made it easier to score inside."
The junior guard had a career game, knocking down five three-pointers en route to a 16-point, 9-rebound effort.
"She's a great shooter," Henderson said. "Not only that, but she's been an even more consistent defender. I'm very pleased that she's found her shot in the past few weeks to round out her game."
Senior guard/forward Sara Best rounded out the double-figure scorers with 12 points of her own. She also attributed the win to the Lions' team game.
"On offense, we've been focusing on running our plays and looking for weaknesses in the opposing team's defense," Best said. "Rowan didn't have the height we have, so we used that to our advantage by looking down low and feeding the posts."
The Profs may have been easily taken advantage of by the Lions, but the Pioneers of William Paterson University took them to the limit and eventually claimed victory.
In the tightly contested battle Saturday in Wayne, N.J., six ties, 11 lead changes and physical play all occurred during the first half.
After being tied 35-35 at halftime, the Pioneers regained the lead by eight points. However, the Lions stormed back and cut the deficit to one, leaving the score 53-52.
"We missed free throws, easy shots inside, we had a lot of turnovers and (William Paterson) had nine three-pointers," Henderson said. "With the score as close as it was, if we could clean up one of the categories, we could have easily won that game."
The College had four players in double figures, including Klimowicz, who led the way with 20 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks in the loss.
With the loss, the Lions stand at 4-2 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) South Division and 13-5 overall, while the Pioneers improved to 5-1 in the NJAC North and 13-4 overall on the year.
"Can we do better? Sure. We just need to evaluate this game and apply what we've learned to the next game," Henderson said.
The Lions will be back home tonight as they host NJAC rival Rutgers University-Camden at 6 p.m. in Packer Hall.
(01/23/08 5:00pm)
During Winter break, the women's basketball team continued to do what it does best: score points, play stellar defense and win games. It did the latter in six of its Winter break games, including dominating Richard Stockton College at Packer Hall on Jan. 19 with a season-high 83 points.
"Scoring 83 points is high for any college basketball game, but with the talent on our team it doesn't surprise me," sophomore guard Karen Lassoni said. "Everyone seemed to be in a zone."
The Lions downed the Ospreys by a score of 83-54, topping their previous collective scoring performance of 81 against Widener University just days earlier. Their high-powered offense shot over 50 percent from the floor, had five players in double figures and was led by sophomore center Alexandra Gregorek.
Gregorek notched 16 points, including 10 points in the first half. Junior guard Alyssa Michella and senior guard/forward Sara Best each posted 14 points overall, while freshman forward Kelsey Kutch put up 13 points of her own. Junior center Hillary Klimowicz tallied 12 points and 13 rebounds en route to her 12th double-double on the season.
With the win, the Lions improved to 12-4 overall, and 3-1 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).
Three days earlier the Lions faced one of their toughest tests of the season as they fell to the No. 11 ranked Cougars of Kean University 60-44 in Union. The loss was the first in the NJAC for the College.
The Cougars led by just one point with seven minutes to go, but the Lions did not score once the rest of the game. Kean went on a 15-point run to clinch the 16-point victory.
"Kean was a tough loss considering last year we lost to them four times," Lassoni said. "But that game will not stop us from growing and moving forward as a team."
The potent offense of the College had only one player post double digits, as Klimowicz had 10 points and 10 rebounds in the defeat.
The loss to the Cougars snapped the Lions' five-game win streak.
"Naturally, we were a little upset after losing (to Kean), but there were a lot of good things that happened during that game as well," Klimowicz said. "They just ran us into a drought at the end of the game that we weren't able to get out of."
Despite the defeat, the Lions had overall success during the break, including winning the Gwynedd-Mercy College Classic.
First, the Lions easily defeated Widener 81-57. Four Lions scored in double figures, including Gregorek, who put up a 15-point effort. Klimowicz and Best added 14 points apiece, and Michella contributed 13 points.
The Lions then took down host Gwynedd-Mercy 54-40. Klimowicz posted yet another double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds on the way to being named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Through the two games, the Lions' starting center shot 16-18 from the field, averaged 10.5 boards per game and notched five blocks.
Best was also added to the All-Tournament Team, as the veteran posted 12 points and seven rebounds in the title game.
The Lions' other two victories occurred at home, where the College dropped the Sea Gulls of Salisbury University 47-36 and defeated the Elizabethtown College Blue Jays 72-64.
"Each and every game, we grow and improve as a team, and it's been an awesome season so far," Michella said. "The 12 of us have an amazing bond and we all have a common goal, which is to win and to do it together. We all know how much potential we have and feel that the sky's the limit for us."
The College's next contest is tonight at 6 p.m. against host Rowan University.
(12/05/07 5:00pm)
After going 2-1 to start the season last week, the Lions took three straight contests, including one by as many as 29 points.
The 29-point victory occurred on Saturday in Washington, D.C., as the Lions easily took down the Cardinals of Catholic University 78-49. The Lions were led to their third straight victory by five players who all reached double figures.
Senior guard/forward Sara Best scored 14 points, junior guard Alyssa Michella notched 13 points, freshman forward Kelsey Kutch contributed 12 and sophomore center Alexandra Gregorek added 11. Junior guard Lisa Koch rounded out the double-figure effort with 10 points. The 78 points scored by the Lions is their highest total of the season.
"This year, everyone is hungrier to make a difference," sophomore guard Karen Lassoni said. "When you have so many different girls scoring in a game, it shows we are working on all cylinders and that we aren't just relying on our stars to get the job done every game. It's great to have so many people contributing to the offense."
A majority of those points came from beyond the arc as the Lions combined on a 7-14 effort from three-point land. Koch, Michella and sophomore guard Nicole Diaz each scored a couple from downtown.
Michella attributed the scores to shooting workouts in practice.
"Throughout our practices, we incorporate a lot of shooting into our workouts," Michella said. "We split according to our positions, and having such power and strength inside opens up the three-point range."
Though the Lions seemed to defeat the Cardinals easily, it was a much different story in Carlisle, Pa., on Thursday.
The College had a tough time against Dickinson College, but they edged out the Red Devils with a final score of 66-63.
Despite the close score, the Lions had nine scorers in double figures and were led by junior center Hilary Klimowicz's fourth double-double of the season, a 16-point, 12-rebound effort. Kutch added 11 points, and Sara Best notched her season-high of 10 points.
The Lions were down early, but after several point-scoring surges, they took the lead and did not look back. Despite the effort, head coach Karen Lassoni foresees some need for improvement.
"The Dickinson game was very sloppy, and we got away with a lot of mistakes," Lassoni said. "Luckily we came out with the win, but we need to continue to be consistent to succeed."
Success was not hard to come by against Moravian College on Tuesday, as the Lions rolled past the Greyhounds 74-52 in their home-opener at Packer Hall.
Setting the pace yet again was Klimowicz, who notched 14 points, six blocks and a career-high 17 rebounds. Kutch chipped in with 14 points of her own, and Koch added 10 points and six assists.
The Lions' largest lead of the game was 25 points.
"Each and every game, we grow and improve as a team, and it's been an awesome season so far," Michella said. "The 12 of us have an amazing bond, and we all have a common goal, which is to win and to do it together. We all know how much potential we have and feel that the sky's the limit for us."
The Lions are scheduled to return home for a contest tomorrow at 7 p.m. against Mount Saint Mary College.
(11/28/07 5:00pm)
The women's basketball team participated in the 20th annual Marymount University Tip-Off Classic in Arlington, Va., winning in the first two rounds before dropping the championship game to host Marymount.
The Lions, coming off two huge victories, took the loss to the Saints 60-48. The defeat puts the College at a 2-1 record while Marymount stays undefeated at 3-0. The Lions will get a shot at retribution against their title-game foes as they play once again in Arlington on Dec. 16.
In the title fight, junior center Hillary Klimowicz led the way for the College as she added a double-double by scoring 13 points while grabbing a career-high 14 boards. Klimowicz also swatted away seven shots and was named to the all-tournament team.
Sophomore center Alex Gregorek contributed as well, netting 10 points and nabbing five rebounds. She was also named to the all-tournament team.
Adding seven points and six rebounds was freshman forward Kelsey Kutch.
"The loss was hard, of course, but we kept in mind that it was only the third game of the season," Gregorek said. "I think that the fact that we made it (to the championship game) was very important. We showed some flashes of the team we can become and our potential is certainly there; we just need to reach it."
"The loss to Marymount was tough but not heartbreaking," sophomore guard Karen Lassoni said. "We did a lot of great things like play great defense and run through our offenses. This tournament showed that we have all of the pieces to the puzzle, and we are on our way to putting them together."
The Lions can take consolation in the fact that they asserted full control over the first teams they played in the tournament.
In the first two rounds of the Tip-Off Classic, the Lions easily defeated King's College 69-60 and routed Denison University 66-53.
Klimowicz once again led the way as the junior combined for a total 45 points and 21 rebounds in the two contests. Gregorek had a career-high 14 points while pulling down seven rebounds. Both centers showed their dominance in the tournament, according to Lassoni.
"We are focusing on getting the ball to our bigs who are dominating in the paint every game," Lassoni said. "It appears to be working, not to mention we are getting great looks from the rest of our offense too."
"Career-highs" was the theme of the tournament as junior guard Alyssa Michella posted 16 points and nine rebounds in the game against King's, both career bests.
Rounding out the Lions' effort was a two-game, 28-point effort by Kutch and a combined nine-rebound, 12-assist performance by junior guard Lisa Koch.
"Our team has great chemistry," Gregorek said. "With such a small team, we are able to understand how each of us plays, including our strengths and weaknesses."
"It is a great thing to see several of our players in double figures," she added, "as it shows that not only is more than one player in the team is a threat, but we all are."
(11/28/07 5:00pm)
The College continued its winning ways, crowning four champions at the Ursinus College Fall Brawl on Sunday, Nov. 18.
The first title was won by No. 7 senior Ray Sarinelli (133 pounds). Sarinelli won all four matches, raising his season record to 10-0.
Sophomore Tyler Branham (149 pounds) won his class decidedly with an 11-0 major decision over Muhlenberg College's Rob Klein. Branham is ranked fourth nationally in his weight class and earned his 50th career victory with his second win of the day.
The College won back-to-back weight classes at 165 and 174 pounds with freshman Justin Bonitatis and junior Greg Osgoodby, respectively.
Bonitatis earned the title with five wins, securing the victory with a pin of junior teammate Al Wonesh (165 pounds) at 1:50. These wins elevated Bonitatis' varsity record to 13-1 on the season.
Osgoodby won his second tournament of the year with an 18-1 technical fall of Lycoming College's Troy Hayre. Osgoodby's other wins included a second technical fall, a pin and a major decision.
Wonesh's second-place finish was one of the five by the College at the Fall Brawl. Freshman Kyle Kinchen (125 pounds) fell in overtime to York College's Kyle Flickinger, who is ranked seventh nationally. Freshman John Barnett (141 pounds) dropped a close bout (5-3) to Damian Rose of Thiel College.
Sophomore Dan DiColo (157 pounds) was on the wrong side of a 7-6 decision against seventh-ranked John Niedrich of York. At heavyweight, 10th-ranked senior Steve Carbone (285 pounds) fell by a narrow margin of 3-0 to ninth ranked York College's Luke Panizzi.
Junior Jon Biango (157 pounds), freshman Mike Denver (174 pounds) and senior Shawn Vanwingerden (197 pounds) placed third.
On Wednesday, Nov. 14, the College defeated Hunter College 30-9 to extend their dual meet winning streak to 15.
Kinchen (125 pounds) opened the meet with a 10-5 victory over junior Evan Velez and said afterward he thought his team "wrestled really well."
Hunter won at 133 pounds as freshman Adam Coleman wrestled to an 8-7 decision in the final seconds tying the match at three. The College then took control of the meet, stringing together numerous victories.
Head coach David Icenhower Sr. attributes their dual meet success to the "balanced lineup" the College boasts.
"The team is progressing well," Icenhower said. However, he acknowledges that the College will come across tough opponents like York in the future.
"We have been training really hard, but there is definitely still room for improvement and I think a lot of our guys know that" Sarinelli said. "It's obvious every single person on this team wants to win, and when we wrestle it really shows."
The team will look to continue its success on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at King's College for more dual-meet action.
(11/14/07 12:00pm)
The College started off its wrestling season right as it began the dual meet section of its schedule by routing the Violets of New York University (NYU).
The eighth-ranked Lions claimed their first official victory of the season by roaring past the 30th-ranked Violets by a score of 30-6.
This meet was the second event this week in which the wrestling team faced a school from New York, but the result remained the same.
The Lions trailed the Violets early after suffering a loss in the 125-pound match.
After that, however, the Lions took over by winning seven of the final eight matches.
Leading the surge for the College in the victory was senior Ray Sarinelli, who put forth an astounding effort in his major decision win.
Sarinelli, who went 5-0 last weekend at the Ithaca College Invitational, won his match 14-5. Sarinelli is also ranked No. 8 nationally in his weight class (133 pounds).
Not to be outdone, junior Al Wonesh (165 pounds) recorded the second major decision in which he easily defeated NYU's junior Pat Knight 11-1.
Wonesh credits the work ethic of the team as well as the coaching staff for his success.
"We push our opponents until they can't go anymore and that's when we excel, in the third period," Wonesh said. "It also makes it a lot easier to be successful since we have excellent coaches showing us great technique in the practice room."
"They really focus on eliminating our mistakes and making us the best wrestlers we can be," he added.
Freshman John Barnett (141 pounds) recorded yet another major decision in his weight class by crushing NYU's Mark Arpaia en route to a 12-4 win.
Freshman success was a theme of the evening, as freshman Justin Bonitatis (174 pounds) needed only 1:22 in order to claim his win.
Bonitatis was pleased with his first home performance for the Lions.
"Soon after the referee called the pin . I got an adrenaline rush followed by excitement," he said. "It was really cool to get a quick pin my first home match."
Senior Tyler Branham (149 pounds) pulled out a slim victory by a score of 3-2 over senior Steve Hult after the match went into overtime.
Subsequent decision wins recorded by sophomore Dan DiColo (7-2 at 157), senior Shawn Vanwingerden (4-3 at 197) and senior Steve Carbone (8-3 at heavyweight) put the meet out of reach for the Violets.
"I attribute our success this weekend to hard work," Sarinelli said after the meet. "Plain and simple, everybody pushed themselves to the limit and it showed when we wrestled."
"It's a good feeling knowing the guys around you want to win as badly as you do," he added.
Bonitatis said he thinks success is in the cards for the Lions this year because of the amount of work the team has been putting in.
"We are off to a very fast start and it really feels good for us," Bonitatis said. "No one sees what we do in our wrestling room: the sweat, the blood and the tears."
"We are pretty much isolated from the other sports teams," he continued, "so having these good seasons really means a lot to us personally."
The Lions' next event is a dual meet on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at Packer Hall against the Hawks of Hunter College at 7 p.m.
(10/31/07 12:00pm)
After dropping their game on Oct. 24 to the Profs (12-7-1) of Rowan University, the Lions (10-6-3) must have thought they were seeing double.
The Lions lost two games to the Profs this week, including a quarterfinal match in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament.
Both games were lost by one goal.
"Our mindset was that we had to come out strong, play our game and do what needs to be done," senior goalkeeper Matt Kasperavicius said. "The feeling was hard to take as it was the end of our season and, for a lot of us, our college soccer career."
The Lions' falling to the Profs on the road in their regular season finale set the teams up for a rematch at the College.
The third-seeded Lions lost the NJAC Tournament game to the sixth-seeded Profs by a final score of 1-0. The College presented a solid effort as senior goalkeeper Steve Scutellaro and Kasperavicius combined on nine saves.
On the other side of the ball, the Lions had 15 shots on goal but none were able to find the net.
The closest chance the Lions had to score was by sophomore forward Kevin Luber. His header in the 59th minute barely missed the net as it hit off the top crossbar, deflecting the ball and any chance the Lions had of scoring.
With the loss, the No. 22 Lions drop to 10-6-3 on the season and let the NJAC crown slip from their grasp.
Senior forward Nima Rahimi, who had three shots on goal in the tournament loss, dissected Rowan's game strategy and explained why it affected his team.
"We knew what Rowan was capable of, and they play the same style every year," Rahimi said. "They sit back, put a lot of numbers behind the ball and look to counterattack because they have overall good team speed. Unfortunately, one of those counterattacks turned into a goal for them, and once they scored, they put even more emphasis on defending."
"It's difficult to try and score when this type of strategy is used," he continued. "When you're attacking and you have to deal with nine field players and the goalkeeper all in a 30-yard distance from the goal, it will always be difficult to score."
The Profs move to the semifinals today where they will face the Montclair State University Red Hawks at 7:30 p.m.
The Lions may not have ended the year on a high note, but the team was still able to improve from last season's sub-.500 record.
"This season, we knew that when we played our game we could play with anyone in the country," Rahimi said. "Unfortunately we were unable to find our best form in the last few games of the season, but overall, it was a good season."
(10/17/07 4:00pm)
The football team posted 21 straight second-half points to defeat William Paterson University 21-13.
With the win, the College improved to 5-1 overall on the season and 3-0 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).
The game started off bleak for the Lions as the Pioneers held them scoreless through the first half, going up 6-0 on a pair of field goals in the second quarter.
"We definitely didn't bring our A-game in the first half," senior defensive back Andrew Larkin said, "but it was encouraging that it was only a one-possession game."
Larkin had two interceptions and six tackles, including four solo, for the Lions.
Senior defensive lineman Joe King, who had eight tackles on the day, including four solo and 3.5 for a loss, also believed the game was not over just yet.
"We've played from behind before," King said. "It was about keeping our heads despite the first half not going the way we wanted."
After halftime, the story changed. The No. 24 ranked Lions wasted no time in attempting a comeback as sophomore quarterback Chris James punched it in from one yard out. Combined with senior kicker Matt Dalessio's extra point, the College took a 7-6 advantage.
Lightning struck twice as another one-yard touchdown was scored by sophomore running back Chase Misiura.
Later in the fourth quarter, the Lions crossed the plane again as James tossed a score to senior tight end Chris Opdyke from six yards out, making it a 21-6 affair.
The Lions had one incident on special teams when the Pioneers blocked a punt with under three minutes in regulation. After taking it back for the touchdown, William Paterson was within eight.
With 2:19 left in the game, the Pioneers attempted an onside kick to get the ball back in the hands of their offense. The College recovered the ball to end the game 21-13.
Despite a sense of accomplishment on the bench, the Lions continue to focus on the games ahead.
"Although it sounds cliché, we really take the season one game at a time, so all we're concentrating on is (Western Connecticut University) next Saturday," Larkin said. "I attribute our success to playing as a team. We have earned each and every win we've gotten because we've played as a team."
King is proud of the way his team is playing this year.
"In previous years, you could see our inexperience when trying to close out games," King said. "This year is different and I'm excited to be a part of it."
The Lions are scheduled to host Western Connecticut at Homecoming on Saturday at 2 p.m.
(10/03/07 4:00pm)
The men's soccer team was seeing double this week as it played two separate Rutgers University teams for one victory and one tie.
The Lions edged out the Scarlet Raiders of Rutgers University-Newark 3-2 on Saturday as sophomore defender/midfielder Anthony Staropoli used his head for a late goal that gave his team the victory. This was Staropoli's first goal of the year and it was assisted by sophomore forward Kevin Luber.
Just 45 seconds into the game, senior midfielder Craig Langan notched his fifth goal of the season as he scored on a cross pass from senior forward Nima Rahimi.
Then sophomore midfielder Matt Erny, who was ejected earlier after attaining two yellow cards on the day, added a score of his own at 1:34. His tally was assisted by fellow midfielder senior Joey McGinley.
"Getting the goal was great," Erny said. "It is exciting to score from my defensive position and it was a great ball over the top by (McGinley). All I had to do was slide it by the keeper."
Lions' senior goalkeeper Steve Scutellaro came up big as he made three saves in the contest.
With the win, the Lions improved to 7-1-3 on the year and 3-0-2 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).
"The win was big as it keeps us in the race for first place in the NJAC," Erny said. "Going on the road and coming away with three points is always a good way to gain confidence."
"You have to consider this a pretty good start," Rahimi added. "That is all it is though, a start, as there is still a lot of the season left to be played. Hopefully we only get better from here."
Rutgers-Newark came in looking for the upset, as it has yet to win in the NJAC. The Lions ended the game in a 1-1 tie against the Scarlet Raptors at the College's soccer complex on Wednesday. This marked the College's third tie of the season.
The Lions' lone score came when McGinley netted his first goal of the year on a crisp pass from Rahimi. This was the only goal of the first half, and after the Raptors added a goal of their own, the game headed into overtime.
Each team had chances in the extra period, but both goalkeepers played shut-down ball to keep the game a tie. Scutellaro made eight saves overall to hold the Scarlet Raptors to one score on the day.
The College will host Drew University today at 3 p.m. before taking on Messiah College at home on Saturday at 3 p.m.
(09/26/07 4:00pm)
The field hockey team (5-1) picked up two huge wins after dropping their first game this week to Ursinus College, the No. 1 team in the nation.
The game held in Collegeville, Pa., on Tuesday, Sept. 18, was a tight contest from start to finish. After an early goal by Ursinus in overtime, the College ended up on the wrong side of the 5-4 scoreboard.
Junior forward Katie Reuther had a trifecta of goals and freshman forward Leigh Mitchell scored once. Junior goalie Caitlin Gregory had five saves.
The loss to top-ranked Ursinus was the College's first loss of the year, but to sophomore forward Jess Falcone, it was a valuable game.
"I think we learned a lot from the Ursinus loss," Falcone said. "We know we have to take better care of the ball when we have the lead in a close game, and I think that definitely showed in the Messiah game."
Falcone's statement rang true as the Lions blanked the No. 2 ranked Messiah College Falcons 1-0. Reuther scored the lone goal as the Lions pleased the hometown crowd.
Gregory saved the only shot she saw for the shutout.
"We do a good job of staying calm during these close games," Falcone said. "I think we've been communicating a lot and have been backing each other up on the field."
Falcone netted two first half goals in a 4-1 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson University on Saturday. The win improved the Lions to an overall record of 5-1.
Not to be outdone, Reuther picked up the assist on Falcone's second goal. She then proceeded to notch a score of her own on a penalty stroke.
With the goal, Reuther has a team-high five goals, along with three assists. She also holds a three-game scoring streak.
Freshman midfielder Kellyn Riley rounded out the offense for the College by adding a goal of her own, assisted by Falcone. Gregory also contributed by saving a pair of shots.
The No. 3 Lions start in-conference play this week, heading north to play Montclair State University on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The team will host Manhattanville College Saturday at 3 p.m.