Rowan played in round one of the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship on Nov. 16, 2024, facing Vassar on a Saturday afternoon in Middlebury, Vt. At the end of the regular season, Rowan had won the most games in a single season and made it back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2022. The dream to then win a tournament game was shattered by Vassar’s talented freshman midfielder, Arden Tobolski. He scored a hat trick to make up for every goal scored in the match.

Entering 2025, this Profs team is eager and even hungrier to achieve the ultimate goal—an NCAA championship. The reigning New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) champions lost some key players to graduation, but returned a lot of familiar faces.

Among those leaving are Captain Turlough Gartlan and starting goalkeeper Dylan Aportela. This leaves an opening for captainship and in between the pipes. Now a sophomore, Tyler Prokopenko, was the listed backup keeper for the 2024 season.

Captains Ryan Cleary and Juni Smith are both entering their senior seasons, looking to disrupt the NJAC landscape once again. The Profs’ ninth all-time points leader with 88, Johnny Troiano, looks to lead the team in goals, again, after a strong season which netted him the honor of NJAC Offensive Player of the Year.

The man behind the conference successes is Scott Baker, who is entering his 12th season with the club. He has coached his way to seven NCAA tournament appearances and has taken home two NJAC championships.

Experience is something that both Baker and this roster have in common. Entering 2025, Rowan men’s soccer has won the NJAC twice in the last three years.

Rowan ended their year in 2024, winning their last eight games before entering the NCAA tournament. Poor fundamentals and lack of effort certainly weren’t the reason for the first-round exit. They were able to beat and compete with nationally ranked schools such as Franklin & Marshall, Johns Hopkins, and SUNY-Cortland. They were even to keep up with the No. 1-ranked school in the country at the time, in Mary Washington, losing in a close 3-2 finish.

Sometimes, the better team or player finds a way to win. Entering 2025, Rowan needs to find a way to be that team. The journey officially gets going in 2025 on Aug. 29 against NYU, with their home opener taking place on Aug. 31 versus Franklin and Marshall, who they drew with 2-2 last season.

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