GLASSBORO, N.J. – The No. 23 TCNJ field hockey team battled with Rowan for more than 75 minutes to determine Saturday night's NJAC championship. Unfortunately for the Lions, the end result was only too familiar.
Despite a valiant defensive effort and a few chances of their own, the Lions succumbed to a walk-off winner as Kaylee Wenzel finally got one past
Brigitte Racey to give 14
th-ranked Rowan a 1-0 double-overtime victory and its fifth consecutive conference crown.
TCNJ (13-6) saw its season come to an end at Richard Wackar Stadium in the NJAC final for the fourth year in a row. Three of those defeats have been by 1-0 score lines, but this was as close as the Lions have come.
The teams traded chances and missed opportunities before Wenzel's late winner. Each side had a defensive save in the first half – one by
Rachael Tetzlaff for the Lions – and went into the break scoreless.
The deadlock remained through regulation, through Racey needed to make four saves – and get a defensive save from
Taylor Wielechowski – to keep the Profs (16-5) off the board.
TCNJ had the lone shot on goal of the first extra session, but
Prisha Dhruve's shot off a corner was turned aside. Rowan dominated the second overtime period, racking up six corners and four shots before Wenzel's golden goal off a scramble in front of the cage.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Rowan held a 19-8 advantage in shots (13-6 in shots on target)
- The Profs piled up 24 corners, including 17 after the end of the third quarter, to five for the Lions
STANDOUT LIONS
- Racey registered 10 saves on the night
- Tetzlaff had a team-high two shots, both on goal, to go with her 10th defensive save of the season
NOTES
- Racey ends her career fourth all-time in saves (246) and seventh in starts (52)
- Tetzlaff's 10 defensive saves are second-most in TCNJ history for a single season, just one off the school record
- Wielechowski notched her seventh career defensive save
- Mackenzie Hart scored a team-high 16 goals this season, finishing her career with 26
