EWING, NJ – The #10 Rowan University field hockey team had a 3-1 loss against #1 The College of New Jersey in the final of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship Tournament.
 
TCNJ is undefeated with an 18-0 record.  They earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.  Rowan is 15-4 overall and will have to wait until Sunday night to see if it receives an at-large bid to the national tournament.  
 
Forward Cayla Andrews put the Lions on the scoreboard at 6:24.  Forward/midfielder Kayla Peterson scored from the right side (28:02) after a pass by midfielder Samantha Reed.  TCNJ had a 2-0 lead at the end of two quarters.
 
At 43:36, Rowan had a penalty corner by forward Krystyna Hovell then back Casey Wagner and midfielders Rachel Stone and Kristiina Castagnola each followed with a shot.  The Profs had five shots in the third quarter.  Forward Tori Tiefenthaler knocked a rebound into the cage at 46:23 after Rowan goalie Morgan Novak turned away Andrews' shot.    
 
TCNJ goalie Maddie Beaumont stopped Rowan's penalty stroke at 47:26.  With 2:36 left, Hovell scored the Profs' goal on a penalty stroke.  Novak ended the game with eight saves while Beaumont had five. 
 
In the NJAC semifinals, the third seed Rowan defeated the second seed Kean University, 4-2 while TCNJ shut out the fourth seed Stockton University, 4-0.  In the NCAA South Atlantic Region, the Lions are ranked first and the Profs are third. 
 
This was the the ninth year for the NJAC Field Hockey Championship Tournament and all nine years the Profs have advanced to the conference postseason.