After a 4-3 loss to Lynchburg on Oct. 5, Rowan field hockey had a 4-7 record and didn’t seem to have the upside or momentum needed to defend last season’s conference title. That’s all a distant memory now though, as the No. 22 ranked Profs rattled off ten straight wins, topping it off by taking down The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) 1-0 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) championship game on Nov. 9 at Coach Richard Wackar Stadium. The victory marked Rowan’s fourth NJAC championship in a row, with the last three all being against the Lions.

Much like when Rowan played TCNJ earlier in the season, the championship game was a defensive battle. However, contrary to that initial matchup on Oct. 16, a 2-1 victory for the Profs, Rowan dominated the stat sheet, outshooting (12-0) and drawing more corners (7-2) than the Lions.

The score remained 0-0 until the beginning of the fourth quarter when a shot by Ella Toll was redirected by Kylie Elwell to Mia Foti’s stick. Foti redirected that deflection past a sprawling Racey Brigitte in the net for the Lions and put the ball into the back of the cage for the game-deciding goal.

“We had so much grit, we knew we were going to get it eventually,” Foti said. “Once I saw that ball go in I was full of excitement. It’s such a great thing to see all the hard work pay off.”

Rowan held on for the remainder of the quarter to clinch the championship, and what ensued was a celebration from players and fans alike. Team captain and recently named NJAC Defensive Player of the Year Tess Herman stressed throughout the entire season about keeping the championship trophy in Glassboro. After accomplishing that goal, the junior couldn’t have been more proud of her team.

“Even when we were at our lowest of lows, we wanted to win the NJAC,” Herman said. “Being able to keep it in Glassboro and keep it in Rowan, especially doing it four times in a row, it just feels amazing.”

It’s notable that all three players involved in the game’s lone goal are all either freshmen or transfers because it sheds light on a common theme of this particular team; eight of the Profs’ 11 starters were in the midst of their first year with the program. It took time for the team to come together and their early season record indicates that. Considering the early adversity they faced, head coach Michelle Andre gives all the credit to her players for their fortitude in battle through it and becoming champions.

“At 4-7, a lot of teams can go sideways and things can happen,” Andre said. “But this team beared down and said ‘No, we want to go in this direction.’ We just found a way and all of a sudden we started playing as a team. We had a lot of new faces on this team and we just grew together and you can see it paying off. We’re playing some really good hockey right now.”

The championship victory marked Andre’s fifth conference title since she became head coach back in 2015, and while she doesn’t cherish this championship more than her others, she acknowledged what it meant to win it with this specific team.

“Every championship is special and every team overcomes something,” Andre said. “But to see them celebrate and smile and know one of the reasons why they came to Rowan was for this experience makes me really happy.”

On top of winning the NJAC, Rowan also clinched a NCAA tournament berth. Their first opponent will be a familiar one in the No. 16 ranked Ursinus Bears. The Profs faced off against Ursinus in their season opener and lost 6-2, but Rowan is a different team now and Ursinus should expect beating Rowan this time around to be a much tougher task. The game will be played on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 4:00 p.m. in Collegeville, Pennsylvania.