The No. 20-ranked Rowan Profs outlasted the Lynchburg Hornets on Sunday in a 4-3 overtime win at Coach Richard Wackar Stadium. Junior Gracie Merrick delivered the game winning goal in OT and freshman goalkeeper Ella Morton grabbed her first collegiate win stepping in for the injured Mariah Juiliano.  

This is Rowan’s fourth straight win and their third against ranked teams on the season, pushing their record to 8-3.

The Hornets, now 7-3, opened the scoring in the first quarter from forward Fenna den Bieman. Lynchburg quickly scored, putting the lead at 2-0 when Anna Dorrestijn slotted home the second. The Profs were able to turn things around in the second with two goals from Sydney Kowalczyk and Olivia Griffin to pull it back. Then with time expiring with the last swing of the half, Saar Prins scored to put the Hornets on top at the half. 

Rowan head coach Michelle Andre said the adjustments at the break were critical.

“You know, we had to make some in-game adjustments,” Andre said. “We weren’t stepping in the lanes we should have defensively, and we weren’t executing our corners. Once we made those adjustments, we were able to come back.”

Then in the third quarter, the Profs were able to even things up for the second time with a goal from Kylie Elwell. But in the fourth, both defenses held strong.

For Morton, it was the goalie she was standing in for that gave her the confidence to go on and make the saves she needed to.

“I was a little nervous this morning,” Morton said. “But watching Mariah [Juiliano] play and learning from her has prepared me. The coaching, the teammates, the atmosphere—it all fed into me and helped me settle in. At halftime, my teammates reminded me not to get in my head, and that gave me the confidence to finish strong.”

Andre had some high praise for the freshman.

“Mariah [Juiliano} has been a great role model, and we felt good about putting Ella in the cage today,” Andre said. “She [Ella Morton] stepped up.”

Rowan was the better team according to the stats. The Profs had the lead in shots (14-12) and had the larger advantage in corners as well (11-5). It was from these corners in the extra session that Rowan was able to get the golden goal. Merrick was able to redirect a shot from captain Tess Herman to put the ball in the back of the cage. 

“It’s exciting. It felt like a whole team win just from the start of the game, even to the finish,” Merrick said. 

With New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play around the corner, the Profs are finding their stride.

“This schedule prepares us at a national level,” Andre said. “It’s about making adjustments and continuing to grow. This was a great win for us.”

Rowan returns to action this Wednesday, Oct. 8, when they opens conference play at Montclair State University.