GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rowan University field hockey team shut out the University of Rochester, 4-0 in the third round of the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament on Sunday.
The Profs advance to the semifinals against Middlebury College (19-1) on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. In the other semifinal game, Tufts University (18-2) meets Johns Hopkins University (19-2) at 2 p.m.. Last year, Middlebury won the national championship over Messiah College, 4-0.
Rowan is 22-0 overall and broke the school record for wins in a season from 2002. Rochester ends the year with a 19-3 mark. In the second round on Saturday, Rowan defeated the University of Lynchburg, 1-0.
The national semifinals and final are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 17 and 18 at Spooky Nook Sports in Manheim, PA. The final is on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Go to
this link for the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship website. For the NCAA digital program
go to this link.
Forward
Rachel Galante (sr. Mount Laurel, NJ/Collingswood) scored twice. Forward
Krystyna Hovell (fr. Gibbsboro, NJ/Eastern Reg.) and midfielder
Kristiina Castagnola (fr. Voorhees, NJ/Eastern Reg.) each contributed with one goal and back
Julie Johnson (sr. Mount Ephraim, NJ/Audubon) had an assist.
The Profs dominated in the first half with 17 shots while the Yellowjackets took six. Rowan recorded three goals. In the first six minutes, the Profs had four penalty corners. Hovell had a shot that was stopped by goalie Kate Kujawa (jr. Elm Grove, WI/Divine Savior Holy Angels). Johnson's shot was blocked and Hovell was stopped by Kujawa a second time.
Galante tipped in Johnson's shot for the first goal at 8:27. Hovell had a breakaway 23 seconds later and blasted a high shot into the cage. Castagnola knocked in a rebound for the third marker (34:33). Kujawa turned away the first shot by midfielder
Molly Gorczyca (so. Hackettstown, NJ/Hackettstown). Rowan took eight first period corners while Rochester had five. Kujawa made nine first half saves.
Rochester kept the pressure on in the final half. The Yellowjackets and the Profs each produced seven shots and four penalty corners. Goalie
Morgan Novak (jr. Jackson, NJ/Jackson Mem.) stopped back-to-back shots (45:01, 45:31) by midfielder Maya Haigis (jr. Acton, MA/Acton-Boxborough) after corners by forward Nancy Bansbach (sr. Fayetteville, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius). Back Courtney Dunham (sr. Lisle, NY/Whitney Point) was denied by Novak after a third straight corner (47:34).
Galante scored again at 66:15, which was her 29
thgoal of the season. She leads the team with 66 points. Kujawa finished the game with 10 saves and back Kate Tiffany (sr. Deposit, NY/Deposit) made a defender save. Novak posted her eighth shutout with seven saves.
This is Rowan's 19
thappearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 2012. The last time the Profs made it to the semifinals was in 2002 and they defeated Salisbury University, 3-2 (2OT). Rowan then had a 1-0 win over Messiah College in the final for its first national championship.
