The Rowan lacrosse team is on a roll.
Rowan has thrived on its offensive success this season. Prior to Wednesday’s game against Washington College (MD), the Profs had a commanding 24-12 win over Cabrini University. The two games beforehand, a 19-18 battle against 22nd-ranked Catholic University and a 17-10 victory over Skidmore College, are a sign this group is serious about competing with the top teams in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) this season.
However, as this season has continued to show, no team is a matchup for Mother Nature. With the most recent batch of snow and ice, this past Saturday’s home game against Cabrini was instead moved back north to Radnor, Pennsylvania, as the Cavaliers were able to steal back home field from the brown and gold.
Despite the weather and subsequent travel hiccup, the Profs got out to an early 4-0 lead and an eventual 9-3 advantage. The team saw their lead vanish as the first half came to a close, leading 9-8 after five straight goals from Cabrini.
The Cavaliers tied the score early in the second half and after an unsettling turn, in which the Profs’ lead was never more than three goals until the 23:24 mark of the second half. But, the brown and gold would prevail and finally took over midway through the half, going going on a convincing 9-0 run to take an 11 goal lead late into the game.
That lead would be all the Profs needed as they cruised to the 24-12 victory.
Junior captain Maddie Bray continued to lead the way, scoring five goals during the team’s 9-0 run, tallying seven total goals to bring her season total to 24. Junior attackers Alex DeGaris and Mikala Gillespie got in on the scoring as well netting four goals apiece on the day. Senior goalie Erin Horner remained solid in the cage stopping nine Cavalier shots to backstop the Rowan victory.
The brown and gold defeated Washington College 17-14 behind four goals from Bray and Kim Doyle. Horner had 13 saves in the contest.
The team now sits at 5-1 on the season and is ranked 23rd in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll as the team approaches April’s more challenging NJAC opponents. The Profs look to solidify their position in the IWLCA standings and atop their conference as rougher waters approach come April with the beginning of NJAC play.
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