Box Score
EWING, NJ – Running back Steve Hevalow scored three touchdowns to lead Rowan University to a 27-7 victory over The College of New Jersey in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game on Saturday.
It was the regular season finale for both teams. Rowan improves to 9-1 overall and 8-1 in the conference. The Profs share the NJAC Championship with Montclair State University and SUNY Cortland who also finished with an 8-1 conference mark. The automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament will be determined later this evening after the NCAA committee meets. The other two teams will have to wait until Sunday, November 14 at 3 p.m. to see if they earn an at-large bid. TCNJ ends the regular season 5-5 overall and 5-4 in the NJAC.
Hevalow (jr. Galloway, NJ/Absegami) finished the game with 84 yards on 24 carries. Running back Keith Corcoran (so. Atlantic City, NJ/St. Joseph (Hammonton)) added 107 yards on 21 touches. Quarterback Tim Hagerty (sr. Glassboro, NJ/Glassboro) completed 10 of 22 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Justin Long (sr. Sicklerville, NJ/Pennsauken) made four catches for 34 yards and a TD.
The defense held the Lions to 135 yards of total offense (102 rushing and 33 passing). Defensive tackle Steve Williams (so. Westmont, NJ/Haddon Twp.) and linebacker Geno Raman (jr. Mullica Hill, NJ/N. Kingston (RI)) each registered eight tackles. Williams also had two tackles for a loss (-11 yards), 1.5 sacks (-9 yards), a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Defensive end Matt Hoffman (sr. Burlington, NJ/Burlington Twp.) compiled seven stops (four solo, three assisted), 2.5 tackles for a loss (-10 yards) and forced two fumbles. Safety Eric Sharkey (jr. Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Reg.) and cornerback Frank Rubino (so. Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) both recovered a fumble, while safety Rocky Aliberti (sr. Sewell, NJ/Clearview Reg.) had an interception.
For TCNJ, quarterback James Donoghue (jr. Shamong, NJ/Seneca) ran for 35 yards on 11 attempts. He threw for 33 yards, completing five of 14 passes. Backup quarterback Nicholas Tyson (so. Freehold, NJ/Freehold Boro) ran for 35 yards on 15 carries. Wide receiver Brian Mills (so. Lawrenceville, NJ/Lawrence) had two receptions for 25 yards.
Linebacker Greg Burns (so. Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton W.) posted a game-high 15 tackles (nine solo, five assisted) and 1.5 tackles for a loss (-3 yards). Safety Matthew Kreider (sr. Delran, NJ/Delran) followed with 13 stops (five solo, eight assisted) and a 55 yard interception return for a touchdown. Linebacker Michael Lambert (jr. Holmdel, NJ/Holmdel) made nine tackles (one solo, eight assisted). Safety Shawn Brown (jr. Long Branch, NJ/Long Branch) added an interception.
Kreider’s 55 yard interception return for a touchdown at 9:49 in the first quarter put the Lions ahead, 7-0. Hevalow’s two yard TD carry at 13:58 in the second tied the game (7-7). Rowan started on the TCNJ 35 yard line after Williams forced a fumble and Sharkey recovered it. Hevalow rushed for 21 yards on six attempts in the drive. At 12:47, Hevalow scored on a four yard run. The PAT attempt was fumbled, making the score 13-7 at halftime. Aliberti intercepted a pass and took it 40 yards to the Lions’ four yard line. Hevalow found the end zone on the first play.
At 6:52 in the third stanza, Hagerty completed a six yard touchdown pass to Long for a 20-7 advantage. The drive was 15 plays that covered 77 yards. Hagerty connected on four of five passes for 59 yards. Corcoran added 28 yards on four rushes. Hevalow’s third touchdown came at 5:38 in the fourth. He scored on an eight yard TD run. Rowan began on the TCNJ 15 yard line after Hoffman forced a fumble and Rubino had the recovery. Hevalow had four straight rushes for 15 yards.
