Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey football team seeks its first win of the 2017 season, but to do so, they will need to take down a perennial power in Wesley College.
 
The Lions (0-2) square off against the 24^th-ranked Wolverines (0-1) in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match-up in Lions Stadium today at noon. TCNJ dropped its NJAC opener at #11 Frostburg State University last week, while Wesley remained idle on its bye week. The Wolverines opened their season the week prior and suffered a 24-19 setback at #18 Delaware Valley College.
 
Big plays have hurt TCNJ in its first two contests and they will need to minimize mistakes on the defensive side to keep pace with Wesley. The Wolverines are without starting quarterback Nick Falkenberg and will look to Khaliq Burroughs to engineer the offense. Burroughs will pose a double threat to the Lions' defense, equipped with running speed and the ability to throw the ball. Look for sophomore running back E.J. Lee to get a lot of touches as well Lee ran for three, second-half touchdowns last season against TCNJ and racked up 162 yards on the ground in his 2017 opener.
 
Senior quarterback Trevor Osler has had a solid start to the season for the Lions. He's completed 26-of-49 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns. Osler ran for a five-yard score last week. Vincent Guckin (11 receptions, one TD) and Chase Vena (eight catches, one TD) have been primary targets, while senior Gabriel Rios has also caught five passes.
 
A bright spot on the defensive side has been the ability to create turnovers. TCNJ has five takeaways in its first two games, including three interceptions. Pressure up front by defensive lineman Shane Kelley is key to forcing mistakes, while the tandem of Max Busca (team-high 20 tackles) and Ryan Hattersley (three tackles for a loss of 11 yards) have led an active linebacker corps.
 
Following today's game, the Lions will host another tough opponent in Salisbury University next week at noon. Wesley will remain on the road and visit William Paterson University for a 1 p.m. kickoff. The Wolverines have qualified for the NCAA championship tournament in 12 consecutive seasons.

 
Athletic Events on Campus
 
It will be a busy day on campus and three other TCNJ teams will suit up for competition. The women's tennis team has an NJAC double header, and with a pair of wins, can capture their 35^th consecutive conference title. The Lions take on William Paterson University at 11 a.m. and then Ramapo College at 4 p.m. in the TCNJ Tennis Complex.
 
The men's soccer team opens its league schedule against the Pioneers at 1 p.m. in the soccer complex. The Lions (4-2) have won two straight and will look to register three points in the conference standings against NJAC foe, WPU.
 
This evening, the fourth-ranked Lions of TCNJ will take on the top-ranked Falcons of Messiah College in a major NCAA field hockey showdown tonight at 6 p.m. Messiah is the defending national champion and is off to a 4-0 start this season. TCNJ is 3-0 and has outscored their opponents 21-4 with six goals coming off the stick of freshman Tori Tiefenthaler.