NCAA Bracket
GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rowan University women’s soccer team will play Ithaca College (NY) in the sectionals of the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament on Saturday, November 21 at 1:30 p.m. The sectional will be held at Williams College in Williamstown, MA.
In the other sectional game on Saturday, Williams College faces The College of New Jersey at 11 a.m. The two winners meet on Sunday, November 22 at 1 p.m. with the champion advancing to the national semifinals. The semifinals and final are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, December 4 and 5 at the Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio, TX.
Rowan has a 17-2-1 record and received an at-large bid to the national tournament. In the first round, Rowan shut out Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 3-0 and defeated the University of Rochester, 1-0 in the second. It is the Profs’ sixth appearance and fifth straight in the NCAA postseason.
Against MIT, forward Veronica Rhea (so. Pennsauken, NJ/Paul VI) and Jess Babice (jr. Groveville, NJ/Steinert) and midfielder Nina Fragoso (so. Franklinville, NJ/Delsea Reg.) each scored one goal. Back Ashley Schaffer (sr. Deptford, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) and Babice had one assist apiece. Goalie Sarah Volkomer (sr. Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) made four saves for her fourth shutout on the season.
Babice recorded the game-winning goal versus Rochester with 13:30 remaining in the game. It was her 21st goal of the year and eighth game winner. Volkomer stopped two shots for the shutout.
Babice is the Profs’ leading scorer with 21 goals and six assists for 48 points. She was named the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Offensive Player of the Year and to the All-Conference first team. Rhea follows with 42 points, 13 goals and 16 assists. In this week’s NCAA statistics, she is ranked second in assists per game (0.8). Rhea was a NJAC All-Conference first team selection. Babice is 16th in the nation in goals (1.167) and 17th in points (2.67) per game. Rowan is ranked 17th in scoring (3.25) in the team statistics.
Forward Melanie Wittenberger (fr. Tabernacle, NJ/Seneca) has contributed with 18 points (8-2) in her rookie season. Fragoso follows with 16 points (6-4) and forward Evynn Wright (so. Marlton, NJ/Eastern Reg.) has added 14 (6-2). In the midfield, Fragoso is joined by NJAC All-Conference first team members Christie Fink (so. Hamilton Square, NJ/Steinert) and Krista Verzi (sr. Delran, NJ/Delran).
Back Christine Foy (so. Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) was chosen the NJAC Defensive Player of the Year and to the All-Conference first team along with back Caitlin Toomey (sr. Brick, NJ/Brick Mem.). The Rowan defense has only given up 10 goals this season. In the national stats, the Profs are ranked 15th in goals against average (0.495), 24th in save percentage (87.5) and 28th in shutout percentage (0.6).
In nine games, Volkomer has totaled 27 saves for an 87.1 save percentage. She has a 0.47 goals against average and five shutouts. Goalkeeper Jillian Brannan (so. Saddle Brook, NJ/Saddle Brook) has posted an 86.7 save percentage and a 0.55 goals against average in eight appearances. In goal, Kate Harman (sr. Laurel Springs, NJ/Sterling) has played six games. She has an 88.9 save percentage and a 0.44 goals against average.
Ithaca (15-4-2) advanced to the sectional over William Smith College on penalty kicks (5-4). In the first round, Ithaca had a 1-0 victory against Muhlenberg College. The Bombers captured the Empire 8 title for an automatic berth in the national tournament. Ithaca won the NCAA Championship in 1990 and 1991. The Bombers finished second in 1989 and they were third in 1988 and 1998. It is Ithaca’s 20th trip to nationals and seventh consecutive.
In the second round, Ithaca made all five of its penalty kicks and William Smith missed on its final attempt. The Bombers’ penalty kicks were by midfielder Amy Scheffer, back Lauren Koppel, forward Julie Winn, midfielder Emily Mogk and midfielder Kelly Gannon. The game was a scoreless tie prior to the penalty kicks.
Against Muhlenberg, Scheffer scored the winning goal at the 79th minute. She knocked in a rebound after a shot by forward Rachael Palladino. Ithaca totaled 18 shots while Muhlenberg only took four. In the Bombers’ goal, Jessica Platt stopped three shots for her third shutout.
Ithaca is led by Scheffer and Palladino with 31 points apiece. Scheffer has totaled 14 goals and three assists while Palladino has accumulated 12 goals and seven assists. At the end of the regular season, Scheffer was named the Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year and Palladino was chosen the conference’s Rookie of the Year. Scheffer and Palladino were on the All-Star first team with forward Lauren Koppel and back Andrea Janda. Janda was tabbed the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year.
Koppel is third in scoring with 27 points (11-5). Back Megan Trager is in double figures with 11 points (2-7) while forward Winnie Adrien and midfielder Julie Winn each have 10. Midfielder Liz Masucci, Mogk and Trager were all selected to the Empire 8 All-Star second team and back Andi Roach received honorable mention.
This year, the Bombers have scored 54 goals in 20 games and they have held their opponents to 16. Platt has stopped 22 shots for a 73.3 save percentage. Her goals against average stands at 0.79. Ithaca has recorded 11 shutouts this season.
Williams (19-0) defeated Keuka College, 5-0 and Oneonta State, 2-1 in the first and second rounds respectively. The Ephs are making their 11th appearance and third straight in the postseason. Williams has two third places (1999, 2008) in the NCAA tournament. The Ephs received an automatic bid as the champion of the New England Small College Athletic Conference.
The College of New Jersey (18-2-1) shut out SUNY Plattsburgh, 2-0 in the first round and Amherst College, 4-0 in the second. The Lions are in the NCAA tournament for the 19th straight season. TCNJ was the national champion in 1993, 1994 and 2000. The Lions also took second four times (1996, 1998, 2005, 2006) and they have three third places (1999, 2003, 2007) This year, TCNJ received an automatic bid to the NCAAs as the New Jersey Athletic Conference Champion.