GLASSBORO, N.J. – The No. 9 TCNJ women's lacrosse team shook off a sluggish start and dominated the second half on the way to a 15-11 win at Rowan on Wednesday, officially clinching the NJAC regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in next week's conference tournament.
 
Kat Naiburg and Morgan Vaccaro had three goals apiece for the Lions, who trailed 5-1 in the first quarter and 9-6 at intermission before outscoring the Profs, 9-2, in the second half.
 
FOR THE RECORD

• TCNJ improved to 11-4 overall and 4-0 in the NJAC with its third straight win, while Rowan dropped to 6-10 overall and 3-1 in league play

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Rowan got off to a flying start, opening up a 5-1 lead 10 minutes into the contest
• The teams traded goals twice before the end of the opening quarter, after which the Lions found themselves in a 7-3 hole
• Goals by Lucca and CJ Kole cut the Rowan lead to 8-6 late in the second quarter, but the home side got one back late in the frame and took a three-goal advantage into the break
• Vaccaro and Naiburg scored early in the third quarter to get the blue and gold within 9-8, only for Yasmin Harris to restore a multi-goal edge (10-8) with 10:05 to go in the third. After that, it was all TCNJ
• The Lions got within one 36 seconds later on a marker by Naiburg, and Natalie Berry leveled the affair with 3:43 to play in the third. About two minutes later, Kole scored an unassisted goal to hand TCNJ its first lead of the day at 11-10
• Molly Green broke up the three-goal run and pulled the Profs even at 11-11 just 30 seconds into the fourth, but that was the last time the home side scored
• Naiburg gave the Lions the lead for good with 10:46 remaining, then Vaccaro and Ally Tobler scored 15 seconds apart to make it 14-11 in lightning-quick fashion
• Vaccaro polished off her hat-trick on an assist from Lucca to provide the final goal with 5:45 to go

FOR THE FOES

• Green had four goals and six draw controls
• Trish Gillen handed out four assists
• Fiona Lockhart and Elaina Corson scored two goals each
• Sophia Schiavo had a game-high seven draw controls

STANDOUT LIONS

• Naiburg (3G/1A) and Lucca (2G/2A) paced TCNJ with four points apiece
• Vaccaro picked up her first hat-trick of the season
• Kole scored two goals and added one assist, while Berry and Madison Wernik each tallied two goals
• Kole and Tobler notched four draws apiece
• Kileigh Pfluger caused three turnovers
• Julia Charest made 10 saves, seven in the middle two quarters

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• TCNJ held a slender lead in shots (29-27)
• Rowan controlled an 18-12 advantage on the draw but committed 23 turnovers to just 14 for the Lions; 22 of those miscues came after the first quarter
• Rowan had 16 ground balls to TCNJ's 13

NOTES

• TCNJ has won 20 in a row against Rowan; The Profs' last win in the series was on April 15, 2010
• Tobler recorded the 250^th point of her career, making her the ninth player in program history to reach that number
• Wernik moved into a tie for sixth all-time in caused turnovers (75) with two on Wednesday

UP NEXT

• The Lions wrap up the regular season at Kean on Saturday