Box Score
GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rowan University women’s lacrosse team defeated Montclair State University, 12-10 to win its first-ever New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship on Thursday night.
The Profs are 11-5 overall and went undefeated in the conference with a 5-0 mark. Rowan must wait until late Sunday, May 9 to find out if it receives an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. Montclair State has a 12-5 overall record and is 3-2 in the NJAC. The Red Hawks earned an automatic berth to the national tournament by winning the Skyline Conference Championship.
Attack Alli Dickey (jr. Stevensville, MD/Kent Island) led the Profs with four goals and two assists. Midfielder Nicole Valianti (jr. Oaklyn, NJ/Collingswood) followed with three goals, while attacks Tori Hart (sr. Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) and Lauren Yee (jr. Mendham, NJ/West Morris Mendham) each found the net twice. Attack Alayna Morris (sr. Columbus, NJ/Northern Burlington Reg.) contributed with one goal and one assist.
For the Red Hawks, midfielders Cora Delfini (so. New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt) and Morgan MacPhee (sr. Toms River, NJ/Toms River E.) tallied four goals apiece. Attacks Lauren Adams (sr. Jackson, NJ/Jackson Mem.) and Kailee Beal (fr. Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury) both posted one goal.
Rowan took 27 shots, while Montclair State had 20. Profs’ goalie Kerry Pehnke (so. West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro N.) made four saves. Red Hawks’ goalie Tiffani Henderson (fr. Landing, NJ/Roxbury) stopped nine shots.
Montclair State took a 2-0 lead early in the first period. Delfini scored the first goal on a free position shot (00:49) and Beal had an unassist goal (5:18). Valianti got Rowan on the scoreboard at 12:34. MacPhee’s unassisted goal at 13:16 put the Red Hawks up, 3-1. The Profs closed out the half with five straight goals. Valianti converted a free position attempt (15:42) and Yee added an unassisted goal (16:14). At 26:36, Dickey had her first goal, while Hart scored at 27:34. Morris found the net on a feed from Dickey as time expired to give Rowan a 6-3 halftime advantage.
In the second stanza, Delfini (33:36) and MacPhee (35:10) each had a goal to pull within one (6-5). Yee and Dickey tallied goals at 36:52 and 39:43 respectively. Valianti’s unassisted goal at 40:11 made the score, 9-5. MacPhee and Dickey exchanged goals twice over the next 8:22. Hart posted a goal at 48:53 on a pass from Morris. Delfini had back-to-back goals at 51:00 and 57:21 to cut the deficit to three (12-9). Adams had a free position goal with 2:12 remaining, but Rowan held on.
