Ewing, NJ...  When it comes to constructing championship caliber teams, defense is always at the forefront. This season there hasn't been a team better than The College of New Jersey when it comes to protecting their net on the lacrosse field.
 
The Lions enter the regional round of the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Tournament as the national leader in team defense allowing 5.42 goals per game. The team is led by a strong core of veteran defenders and supported by a group of dedicated midfielders. 
 
On Saturday, fourth-ranked TCNJ (18-1) will take on 12^th-ranked Washington & Lee University (17-2) at 1 p.m. at Amherst College. The Generals have been on a roll winning 13 straight games. In that span have been scoring at a clip of 14.5 goals per game. Twice during their winning streak they have reached 20 goals in a game.
 
"Like any other team, we do our research to scout our opponents. However, we try our best to focus mainly on our game," senior defender Jennamarie Colicchia (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Twp.) said. "We are confident that no matter who we come against we will hold strong and disciplined. We can quickly change our defense in the game in order to shut down the opponent if our original plan is not working," she continued. "We do not necessarily adjust to other teams; rather we keep the mental and physical parts of our game strong through planning and hard practice."
 
Colicchia is a three-year starter on defense and classmate Nicole Pineda (Wall, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) has made 59 straight starts. Pineda's work has not gone unnoticed as she has been selected as both an All-New Jersey Athletic Conference and Boardwalk All-Region first team honoree this spring. Both of these players rank among the team leaders in various defensive statistics with Pineda collecting 24 ground balls and Colicchia causing 16 turnovers and gathering 17 ground balls.
 
Carly Shello (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) has fit in nicely during her first season with the Lions. The junior transfer has chipped in with 20 ground balls and 10 forced turnovers.
 
The defense gets plenty of support from a number of midfielders that drop back to the defensive side of the field. Senior Lauren Pigott (Jobstown, NJ/Northern Burlington) is the reigning two-time NJAC Midfielder of the Year and was previously cited as the NJAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2012. Pigott leads the team with 56 ground balls, 31 caused turnovers, and is second in draw controls with 67.
 
Junior Lauren Karpovich (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) was All-NJAC honorable mention and has chipped in with 30 ground balls and 18 caused turnovers. Classmate Sam Iacouzzi (Spring Lake, NJ/St. Rose) and sophomore Soraya Selamie (South Brunswick, NJ/Rutgers Prep) have also logged valuable minutes when the opposition has possession, while sophomore Megan Devlin (Marmora, NJ/Ocean City) has earned an increased role.
 
Junior Erin Healy (Spring Lake Heights, NJ/Manasquan) has helped the defense in another way, by making sure the Lions have the ball. Healy is creeping up on the school record for draw controls in a season with 86, with the record sitting at an even 100.
 
The final piece to the defensive puzzle has been freshman goalie Kelly Schlupp (Holland, PA/Council Rock South). Schlupp took over as the starter in the third game of the season and began her career winning her first 10 collegiate decisions. She ranks among the national leaders with a 5.64 goals-against-average. Her best game came against one nation's elite as she notched seven saves in a victory over seventh-ranked Franklin & Marshall College.
 
"The defensive unit always works well with our goalies," head coach Sharon Pfluger said. "Regardless of the level of experience involved, the defensive unit regards our goalies as one of them and when we are one, we have a greater chance of being successful."
 
TCNJ's entire defensive group will be put to the test this weekend when they line up against Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Year Margaret Klein. The senior attack leads the Generals in goals with 49 and is second in points at 58. Klein is currently ranked fourth all-time at W&L for career goals (143) and eighth for career points (174).
 
Senior Greta Witter is also a major scoring threat. The All-ODAC First-Team honoree leads the team with 59 points on 42 goals and 17 assists. Washington & Lee does spread its scoring around as nine different players have reached double digits in goals and 10 Generals have recorded double figures in points.
 
"Everyone on defense knows they need each other. They function together, they push each other hard and they support each other, as well," Pfluger added.