The No. 14 Rowan Profs suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday, Sept. 7, falling, 3–2, in a tightly contested battle with No. 5 Johns Hopkins. The Blue Jays were led by standout forward Kaitlin Coward, who scored two goals in the first half.

“Of course, we’re a little hard on ourselves because we wanted the win,” goalkeeper Mariah Juiliano said. “But we learned a lot of things to work on for the future. Sometimes you’ve got to feel that sting to know you don’t want to feel it again.”

The Profs survived early pressure from Johns Hopkins, with Juiliano making several key stops. Juliano provided a valiant effort with 10 saves, but the Profs came up just short in their bid for a statement win.

Johns Hopkins eventually broke through when Caeli Robinson set up the opening goal midway through the quarter, tucked home by Coward. Rowan responded with three shots on goal but was unable to find the equalizer.

Juiliano stayed sharp, collecting her fifth save on another close-range attempt. But, Hopkins doubled its advantage after Coward scored her second goal of the afternoon. Despite the 2–0 hole, Rowan showed fight, earning three corners and keeping offensive pressure on the Blue Jays.

The Profs came out strong after halftime as Hailey Wenzel scored the Profs sole goal of the contest at 36:47, cutting the deficit to 2–1.

Juliano then made a massive one-on-one save against Hopkins’ Grace Waldeck, but Robinson quickly restored the two-goal lead for the Blue Jays. Rowan refused to quit, with Mia Foti redirecting a Peyton Ryan shot to make it 3–2 heading into the fourth.

Head coach Michelle Andre said the back-and-forth pace was a credit to both sides.

“That was an NCAA-level type of game, the kind of matchup you see in an Elite Eight or Final Four. Fast pace, really good hockey,” Andre said. “If you’re a fan of the game, it was probably fun to watch.”

Rowan pressed hard to tie up the score but could only muster a single shot in the final frame. Hopkins’ defense held firm to secure the win, handing the Profs their first loss of the season.

Forward Jenna Gray emphasized the lessons Rowan can take away from this game.

“Like Coach said, we hate losing,” Gray said. “The biggest lesson is we need to come out and score first. That’s huge for us.”

The Profs now turn their attention to a midweek matchup against Stevens, looking to bounce back quickly.

“There’s no let-up,” Juiliano said. “We’re looking at every team like they’re ranked No. 1. We’re going to play everyone the same way—and just keep getting better.”

For comments/questions about this story DM us on Instagram @thewhitatrowan or email [email protected]