The No. 3-seeded Rowan men’s soccer team won a decisive battle against sixth seeded William Paterson on Saturday, 1-0, at the Rowan Soccer and Lacrosse Complex. The Profs are now victorious in five of their last six games, as the team advances to the semifinals of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) tournament.
In the 84th minute, junior Luke McNamee curled in a left footed cross from the near side. His ball perfectly found the far post where none other than senior Johnny Troiano was there to tap an inside of the foot volley into the left corner. The Prof’s leading scorer had put Rowan in front.
“I didn’t want my career to end,” Troiano said.
While the goal was everything for Rowan’s future aspirations, it marked Troiano’s 17th time scoring this season, a new career-high.
“My pop pop was 17 [so it was special],” Troiano said.
Previously on Oct. 11, the Profs and Pioneers drawed, 1-1, after both sides traded late goals within the final ten minutes of play in Wayne, New Jersey. This time, the crowd in Glassboro witnessed the back and forth affair.
Rowan controlled the tempo for most of the match, taking 17 shots to William Paterson’s seven. With all signs looking toward a tie at regulation’s end, Troiano put the Profs ahead late in the match.
“These playoff games, you need one and you need to win and we did that; and we got a shutout,” head coach Scott Baker said. “We’ve had a lot of close games and a lot of crazy games, back and forth, and last minute goals; and we’re used to it.”
Beating the NJAC’s sixth seed was no easy feat for the Profs, considering the match involved ten participants entering the referee’s book, six for William Paterson, and four for Rowan.
“That’s the NJAC,” Troiano said.
On this chippy occasion, all players were at the receiving end of some daunting tackles, which boiled over when orange and white kits shared a hostile exchange once the final whistle sounded.
“I think the other teams will be a little bit less chippy, to be honest, especially moving forward,” Baker said. “They’re going to probably try to play a little bit more soccer, which will help us.”
Preparation has begun for Rowan men’s soccer in anticipation of their NJAC semifinal matchup against the No. 2 seed the Stockton Ospreys, who they defeated during the regular season, 1-0.
Next Wednesday, the Profs will make the trip to Galloway, New Jersey with a spot in this year’s NJAC Championship on the line.
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