Rowan University field hockey shutout Montclair State University 6-0.
During the first quarter, Julia Patrone, a forward, was able to slip a ball past Montclair’s goalie, Lauren Pickul, who had 18 saves.
Head Coach Michelle Andre talked to her team about what was preventing scoring from taking place.
“It was actually body positioning,” Head Coach Andre said. “We adjusted their bodies in the second quarter . . . They were all sinking into the goal cage . . . We [wanted] them to spread out a little bit more.”
What was said in the huddle seemed to work. During the second quarter, three Profs were able to connect the ball to the back of the net. Rowan went into halftime with a 4-0 lead.
Four different players scored the six goals, something that Coach Andres regards as one of the best aspects of the Prof’s skills.
“It’s the best part about this team,” Head Coach Andre said. “It’s never going to be one or two people . . . It’s always going to be a diverse group of scoring for our team.”
In the second half, Rowan continued to build their lead with two more goals. Rowan scored 14 goals in the past two games.
Patrone, who had two goals of her during the shutout, mentioned that the team is much more comfortable on the offensive side of the ball.
“I think the past two games show how well we’re working as a team,” Patrone said. “I think we struggled with it in the beginning of the season and now things are starting to come together.”
Rowan barely allowed the Red Hawks on the opposite side of the 50-yard line during the entire game. Coach Andre believes, in a similar fashion to offense, the defense has only been getting better game after game.
“One of the things our defense has been doing the past couple games is they’re stopping midfield transition,” Head Coach Andre said. “We’re getting the ball in the midfield and we’re able to stay and sustain an attack, which is something we didn’t do in the first couple games.”
Rowan looks to keep the big wins going when they face another new Jersey Atlantic Conference rival, The College of New Jersey, on Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 4 p.m.
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