Rowan men’s soccer team secured its first win in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) this season, defeating New Jersey City University (NJCU) 3-0 at the Rowan Soccer and Lacrosse Complex on Wednesday night.

The now No. 10-ranked Profs improved to 8-2-1 on the season. They were able to bounce back after falling four spots in the United Soccer Coaches national poll due to a difficult 2-1 loss over the weekend against Rutgers-Newark to open NJAC play. 

“We’ve learned our lesson twice this year,” head coach Scott Baker said. “Any of these teams are capable of winning, and if you’re not playing all out, you’re going to get caught.”

Rowan men’s soccer got off to a strong start thanks to senior forward Johnny Troiano, who charged into the six-yard box and scored a header while colliding with NJCU’s keeper in the 18th minute. Injury concerns loomed after Troiano took a big hit on the occasion, which resulted in coach Baker taking his star striker out for the remainder of the half. 

“It’s like one of those tough goals where you have to run through it,” Baker said. “That type of goal is different than he’s used to scoring, so I love seeing that.” 

Frank Onguene would tack on another for the brown and gold in the 37th minute. The junior forward found the netting for the first time in a Prof uniform and gave his side the cushion they needed going into halftime, up 2-0. 

The home crowd soon learned that Troiano was as healthy as can be, scoring his second of the night on a threatening Rowan counterattack in the 71st minute. He has officially entered double-digit goals with 11 this fall.  

“When he’s on the ball and he’s shooting, we’re going to score goals,” Baker said. “We just have to keep doing that and stay busy in the box.”

Rowan managed to seal the deal with exceptional defensive play, as the squad earned its second clean sheet of the 2025 campaign. C.J. Norton and company have had troubles thus far when defending the net, conceding 15 times through 11 matches, but Wednesday night’s victory was a definite bright spot.

“The way that we attack with numbers, we’re always going to be susceptible to a counterattack,” Baker said. “It’s sometimes a lack of urgency inside the box, but that’s on everybody. Of course, we got a clean sheet today and we’re happy about that.”

The Profs understand the task at hand this coming Saturday, as they will be on the road to face NJAC rivals Rutgers-Camden, looking for another conference victory.

“They’re going to bring a ton of energy …we’re going to have to play our best to get past Camden,” Baker said. “I feel like we’re the better team going into Saturday, but we got to match that energy, and if we do that, we’re going to see a lot of good chances for ourselves.”