Box score
Union, NJ… Junior Kathleen Notos (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) scored the game-winning goal with 39 seconds remaining in regulation as #13 The College of New Jersey field hockey team won a thriller over Kean University 2-1.
Notos capitalized on a scramble in front of the cage taking a feed from senior Jessica Falcone (Cherry Hill, NJ/Camden Catholic) as the Lions (14-4, 5-0 NJAC) overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit to remain undefeated in New Jersey Athletic Conference play.
The win sets up a pivotal, NJAC showdown at Rowan University (11-5, 5-0 NJAC) on Friday, November 5th as the two teams will clash in a battle of the unbeatens in conference play to determine who claims the title.
TCNJ dominated both periods, but the Cougars (9-5, 3-2 NJAC) held a 1-0 advantage at the intermission. Kean junior Olivia Triano (Keyport, NJ/Keyport) knocked in her ninth goal of the season at the 30:49 mark to give the Cougars a one-goal lead.
After outshooting their opponent 7-3 through the opening 35 minutes, the Lions came out firing in the second half. Just over three minutes in, senior Mary Waller (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) evened the score when she rifled home a penalty stroke for her second tally of 2010.
Waller's goal sparked the Lions as they took total control of the contest, peppering shot after shot at Kean goaltender Lauren Dobbs (Palmyra, NJ/Palmyra). TCNJ had 10 unanswered shots in the second half before the Cougars finally got a shot off at the 63:46 mark of the game.
Senior Alex Okuniewicz (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) made a defensive save in the Lions' end with just under five minutes remaining, and TCNJ regained control moving back into their offensive third. That set up the last-minute heroics by Notos as she rattled the cage for her team-leading 12th tally of the season and fourth game-winner.
Lions goalie Shannon Syciarz (Garwood, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson) needed just two saves for her 14th victory of the season, while Dobbs played a terrific game for the Cougars stopping nine shots on goal. TCNJ outshot Kean 19-5 in the contest.
The Lions close out the home portion of their schedule on Sunday, October 31 hosting 10th-ranked SUNY Cortland in a noon start. Their regular season finale will be at Rowan on November 5th.
