Glassboro, NJ… The College of New Jersey women's lacrosse team broke open a close game at the half by scoring the first eight goals in the second en route to a 16-7 road win at conference rival Rowan University on Tuesday.
 
The victory keeps the seventh-ranked Lions undefeated in the New Jersey Athletic Conference at 3-0 and they moved to 8-2 overall. The loss was the first in league play for the Profs as they fell to 1-1 and 5-4 overall.
 
Rowan closed the opening half with a 3-1 run trimming TCNJ's lead to 8-6 at the half, but the Lions came strong at both ends of the field.
 
Junior Lauren Pigott (Jobstown, NJ/Northern Burlington) got the visitors going in the second half scoring 9:40 into the period to make it a 9-6 contest. Senior Jillian Nealon (Whitehouse Station, NJ/Hunterdon Central) and junior Jen Garavente (Monroe Twp., NJ/Monroe Twp.) then scored, while sophomore Erin Healy (Spring Lake Heights, NJ/Manasquan) added another as the lead quickly ballooned to 12-6.
 
The Lions scored four more times in their eight-goal spurt with Garavente getting two, while Nealon and sophomore Erin Waller (Washington Twp., NJ/Washington Twp.) each added one.
 
Rowan spoiled TCNJ's bid of not allowing a goal in the second half, scoring with 41 seconds left in the game.
 
In the opening frame, the Lions raced out to a 5-0 with senior Alex Spark (Harvey Cedars, NJ/Southern Regional) getting the team off to a great start scoring 14 seconds into the game.
 
TCNJ would eventually lead 7-2, before the Profs made a small run to make it an 8-6 game at the half.
 
Nealon led all players with five goals, while Pigott had four goals and chipped in with five draw controls. Garavente scored three times.
 
Junior defender Nicole Pineda (Wall, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) had a solid game for the Lions with four ground balls and causing three turnovers.
 
Junior Kelsey Zinck (Bristow, VA/James W. Robinson) backstopped the win in goal for the Lions with five saves.
 
The Lions face a tough road test on Friday, April 5 as they head to eighth-ranked Franklin & Marshall College for a 4 p.m. start.