Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD – The Rowan University women’s soccer team had a 1-0 win over 20th ranked Virginia Wesleyan College in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.  Forward Erika Suhl scored the winning goal. 

Rowan (13-3-1) will play host Johns Hopkins University (16-4-1) in the second round on Sunday, November 11 at 5 p.m.  In the other first round game, Johns Hopkins shut out Lancaster Bible College, 5-0.  Virginia Wesleyan ends the year with an 18-2-1 record.  

The second round winner moves on to the sectionals on Friday and Saturday, November 16 and 17 or Saturday and Sunday, November 17 and 18.  The national semifinals and final are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, November 30 and December 1 at the Blossom Soccer Complex in San Antonio, TX.

Suhl (so. Brick, NJ/Brick Mem.) scored at 77:13.  She headed the ball that went off the hands and over top of Marlins’ goalkeeper Erica Keil (jr. Wayne, NJ/DePaul Catholic).  It was Suhl’s 12th goal and sixth game-winner on the season.  Midfielder Michele Ercolano (sr. Emerson, NJ/Paramus Catholic) had the assist.

Virginia Wesleyan took 11 shots and Rowan registered nine.  Goalkeeper Maria Dorris (sr. Mantua, NJ/Clearview Reg.) stopped six shots for her 11th solo shutout while Keil made four saves.

Rowan received an at-large bid to the national tournament.  It is the Profs’ ninth appearance and eighth straight in the postseason.  Johns Hopkins is playing in the NCAA tournament for the 11th time. It was Virginia Wesleyan’s ninth trip to the national tournament.

The NCAA Championship Tournament started with 64 teams.  There were 43 conferences that received automatic qualifiers, one team from Pool B and 20 schools from Pool C.  Pool B consists of independent institutions and Pool C includes institutions from automatic qualifying conferences.   

For additional information about the NCAA women's soccer tournament go to http://www.ncaa.com/sports/soccer-women/d3.