EWING, N.J. – The No. 13 TCNJ women's lacrosse team used a big second-half run to pull away from Stockton and into the NJAC championship game with a 17-9 victory on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The top-seeded Lions (13-4) will meet second-seeded Rowan – a 19-4 winner over Montclair State in the other semifinal matchup – for the conference crown back at the Lacrosse Complex on Saturday.
 
TCNJ utilized two separate runs of four or more unanswered goals to keep the scrappy Ospreys at bay and reach their 14^th consecutive NJAC final. The Lions scored three times in the first 10 minutes, only for Stockton to answer each time.
 
Then came the first extended spurt, a 4-0 run featuring three consecutive goals by CJ Kole in a span of less than three minutes bridging the end of the first quarter. After the Ospreys rang the post, Veronica Campbell converted a free-position opportunity to make it 7-3 early in the second.
 
Stockton (11-6) clawed to within 8-5 at halftime, and it was only a 9-7 TCNJ lead after consecutive Osprey goals early in the third. The visitors had two chances to get within one, but Emily Rau and Ally Tobler caused turnovers before Gabriella Roosa ignited a 7-0 spurt with a free-position tally.
 
Marissa Lucca then scored on a pin-point pass from Kelly Nevins, and Abbie Teefy made it three goals in just over a minute. Tobler netted a free-position tally and another goal off a pass from Roosa, and Lucca made it 15-7 late in the third with a player-down marker. Lucca then capped the extended run with a quick goal just 17 seconds into the fourth quarter.
 
FOR THE FOES

• Margot Costello led Stockton with three goals, while Charlotte Ondria had three assists to go with one goal
• Julia Gibson and Isabella Marinello each scored twice

STANDOUT LIONS

• Kole racked up five goals and a pair of assists to go with three draw controls
• Tobler was all over the field, pairing four goals with two assists while also piling up 10 draw controls, five ground balls, and five caused turnovers on the ride
• Lucca finished with four goals – all in the second half – and one assist
• Roosa (2G/1A) and Campbell (1G/2A) had three points apiece, and Campbell controlled five draws
• Kate Martinek caused three turnovers

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• TCNJ held a 31-21 shot advantage
• Behind Tobler, the Lions enjoyed a 19-10 surplus in the draw circle
• TCNJ was 6-for-9 on free-position shots, including 3-for-3 from Kole, while Stockton was just 1-of-5
• The Lions forced nine Stockton turnovers on clearing attempts

NOTES

• Tobler moved past Ali Jaeger '11 and into second on the program's all-time points list with 367
• Tobler is now just three goals from becoming the 14^th player in Division III history with 300 for a career
• Tobler and Lucca each eclipsed 100 points for the season, posting the 9^th and 10^th triple-digit point efforts in a single season in school history
• Julia Charest notched her 58^th career win, one off 2^nd place all-time
• Kole now has 50 assists for her career

UP NEXT

• TCNJ battles Rowan for the NJAC championship on Saturday. The teams have met in the conference title game each of the last four seasons.