Rowan women’s lacrosse will face off against Kean University for the second time this Saturday at 1 p.m. after a loss against The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) this past weekend. The Profs played hard but couldn’t bring home the win as the team fell short with a final score of 11-22. Their overall record stands at 1-5.

Sophomore attacker Michaela Donnelly was one of five Profs to score a consecutive goal in the second period.

“You could see that once we had possession and things were going our way, we were in it,” Donnelly said. “It felt like it helped with our momentum in the second half.”

The team gave their all from start to finish but did receive three penalties. Head coach Lindsay Delaney sees different ways that the Profs can work this out and stay focused on the bigger picture.

“We have been on the side of some questionable calls; however, we are also not playing disciplined enough as a program,” Delaney said. “Once we start playing smart and in control, and less about reacting to the other team, then things will change.”

Last year, Donnelly was a starter in her first game with the Profs against Ursinus College. She was able to play in all five games before COVID-19 caused the spring season to be canceled. Getting that playing time right away helped Donnelly find her rhythm.

“I was super, super nervous,” Donnelly said. “But I think as the game progressed, I settled in a little bit more. It was a good feeling.”

The quick speed of lacrosse games has Donnelly staying ahead of her opponents and thinking about what she can do for her teammates to keep that energy flowing.

“I think always thinking about the next step is something that I need to keep working on so that way we’re not just in the moment,” Donnelly said. “Once my teammate gets the ball, what am I doing to help her when she has the ball. So, I think that’s important.”

For what the spring season brought with COVID-19 and games getting either canceled or postponed, the upcoming summer break will be the perfect opportunity to brush up on a few different skills and practices.

“I think that our stick work is definitely there, but I think, in transition specifically, we need to do a better job of making sure that we’re catching first, and making sure that we’re throwing good passes too,” Donnelly said.

Another component that Donnelly hopes the Profs work on is communication, something Delaney touched on not too long ago.

“And then, defensively, again with the communication,” Donnelly said. “Just making sure that we’re being aggressive because I think that sometimes we can be a man up and we don’t even realize it, and we could be putting pressure on the ball, and that’s something that just has to be talked through.”

This upcoming second match against Kean University has Donnelly and her team ready to win another round.

“We’re all fired up,” Donnelly said. “We cannot wait. These next practices, we’re going to really focus because they’re going to bring it to us, and you know, we’re going to bring it to them twice as hard.”

“We’re going to do some film work and we’re ready to win again,” she said.

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