Box Score
Senior Insert
Ewing, NJ... Junior Brittany McGinley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) scored a goal in each half as The College of New Jersey secured a bye in the opening round of the upcoming New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament as the Lions shutout visiting Rowan University on Tuesday, 2-0.
The win puts the 22nd-ranked Lions in first place in the conference with 24 points with an 8-1 record, while the 19th-ranked Profs are 7-2 in the conference and locked up the third seed in the tournament. TCNJ still has a chance to claim the top seed in the tournament if second place William Paterson (22 points) either loses or ties its game with Kean University on Wednesday. Both TCNJ and Rowan are 14-2-1 overall.
Prior to the game, TCNJ honored five players for their hard work and dedication to the program. That group included Brianna Brennan (Marlton, NJ/Holy Cross), Casey Caruso (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick), Julianne Delorenzo (Yardville, NJ/Pennington Prep), Jackie Levowsky (Washington, NJ/Warren Hills), and McGinley, who is considered a junior athletically after receiving a medical redshirt earlier in her career.
The Profs suffered a major blow before the game was five minutes old as senior Jess Babice (Groveville, NJ/Steinert), the nation's third leading scorer, was injured in a collision with a TCNJ player and did not return. She left the contest after playing just 3:18.
Rowan did get a quality scoring chance minutes later as Evynn Wright (Marlton, NJ/Eastern) directed a low shot toward the far corner of the Lion net, but TCNJ keeper Kendra Griffith (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) dove to her left to make the save. That turned out to be the best scoring chance for the Profs on the night.
McGinley was dialed in all night as she netted the first goal with 16:17 showing on the clock in the open half. She carried the ball up the near wing and then ripped a shot the found the near corner for a 1-0 TCNJ lead.
In the second half, McGinley struck again making a nice move on the near side to create a shooting space and unleashed a hard shot that went into the net off of the far post. The two goals doubled McGinley's season total as she now has four on the year.
She finished with a game-high eight shots and nearly completed the hat trick in the closing minutes lacing the last of those shots just wide.
Griffith finished with a pair of saves for her 10th shutout of the season.
Rowan keeper Deana Wood (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern) collected a five saves in suffering only her second loss of the season.
