GLASSBORO, NJ - The third-ranked Rowan field hockey team will seek a berth in the national championship game when the Profs host #2 Middlebury in the NCAA Semifinals on Friday, November 18 at 3 p.m. at Coach Richard Wackar Stadium. The Profs are seeking their first final since 2002, when they won the program's only national title. In the first semifinal, #4 Johns Hopkins meets #8 Williams at noon, with Friday's winners facing off for the NCAA Championship on Sunday, November 20 at 1 p.m.
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About the Profs
Rowan, at 21-1, has been ranked in the nation's top three all season, and is making its second straight appearance in the NCAA Semifinals. The Profs won their first 14 games before suffering their only loss (Oct. 19 to Salisbury), but have since won seven in a row, which included their second straight NJAC Championship.
Getting Here
Rowan, which earned a first-round bye, hosted the NCAA Second and Third Rounds last weekend here at Wackar Stadium. The Profs shut out #16 Christopher Newport, 4-0, behind two goals and an assist from Kristiina Castagnola, goals by Bridget Guinan and Julia Cavicchio and eight saves from Abby Hainsworth to earn her fifth shutout of the season. Rowan then went on to defeat #5 Messiah, 3-1, with Castagnola, Guinan and Vanessa DiDonato finding the cage to punch their ticket to the Final Four.
Rowan and the NCAA's
This is Rowan's 22nd appearance in the NCAA Tournament in which it owns a 22-20 all-time record. The Profs are making their sixth trip to the national semifinals, having previously been there in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2018 and 2021. The lone NCAA title was won in 2002 in Springfield, MA, under head coach Penny Kempf.
Doing it All
Kristiina Castagnola, the two-time NJAC Midfielder of the Year and two-time All-American, is the Profs' leader and one of the top players in school history. She has 21 goals and 10 assists this year and led the way last weekend, scoring the Profs' first goal in each game. Castagnola, who has six game-winning goals this season, has six multiple-goal games this year and 19 in her career. Surprisingly, Rowan's all-time leading scorer had never registered a hat trick until this season, and posted two of them - against Stockton and Ramapo.
Guided by Guinan
Senior Bridget Guinan has been steady as usual in the midfield as the three-time All-NJAC First Team selection owns 10 goals and four assists this year. The co-captain had a goal in each of the NCAA Tournament wins last weekend, including the 50th goal of her career against Christopher Newport. She has notched two multiple-goal games this year, including a hat trick vs. Haverford.
For the Defense
Senior goalkeeper Abby Hainsworth has been solid in goal, only allowing 17 goals in 22 games, with a goals against average of 0.81. She's made a career-best 68 saves this season, with a season-high of 11 in the 5-0 win over TCNJ, while stopping 10 shots in the victory over Johns Hopkins. Hainsworth has recorded five shutouts this year and 12 in her career.
For the Defense, Part II
Abby Hainsworth has a lot of help in front of her, led by All-NJAC 1st Team selection Julia Cavicchio and NJAC Rookie of the Year Tess Herman, along with seniors Melissa Donaldson, Rachel Stone and Liz Fox. The Profs' defense has allowed just 20 goals all season and has limited the opponents to 143 shots.
The Scorer
Sophomore Julia Patrone leads the team with 59 points, on 24 goals and 11 assists, and has four hat tricks this season. She eclipsed the 100-point mark for her career in just her 41st game, the 1-0 win over TCNJ that gave Rowan the NJAC title. Patrone scored the gamewinner, her ninth this season, on her first-ever penalty stroke attempt.
Coming on Strong
Vanessa DiDonato is another scoring threat as she has tallied nine goals in the last seven games. Included in that stretch was a four-goal game vs. Montclair State, which marked the most goals scored by a Prof this season. Earlier this year, the sophomore had a hat trick in the 5-0 victory over TCNJ.
Fab Frosh
First-year players who have made an impact are NJAC Rookie of the Year Tess Herman and forward Sidney Pavlishin. Herman is a key defender who scored four goals this season while Pavlishin started 16 games and has three goals.
Super Sophs
The future is bright for Rowan as a trio of sophomores are among the team's leading scorers - Julia Patrone (24g, 11a), Vanessa DiDonato (16g, 4a) and key defender Julia Cavicchio (8g, 7a).
Home Sweet Home
The Profs are looking to use their home-field advantage in this year's championship. Rowan went 11-1 this season at Coach Richard Wackar Stadium, with the only loss coming to #3 Salisbury on Oct. 19. Since 2018, the Profs have racked up a 30-3 record on their home turf. By winning the NJAC regular season and earning a first-round bye in the NCAA's, Rowan has not been away from home since Oct. 28, when they played a non-league game at Elizabethtown.
Shooting Stars
Rowan has outshot its opponents by a dominating 506-143 margin, while outscoring its foes, 105-20, for the fourth best scoring margin in the country.
Two of the Best
When all is said and done, Kristiina Castagnola and Bridget Guinan will be two of the top scorers in school history. Castagnola holds the record with 163 points, while Guinan ranks third with 128 points (51g, 26a), just shy of second place (129 points).
Rowan in the Final Four
This is the Profs' sixth appearance in the Final Four and they are seeking just their second berth in the national championship game. The 2002 squad took home the national title with a win over Salisbury (3-2 in 2OT) and then a victory over Messiah (1-0). That team went undefeated with a school-record 21 wins. Rowan also reached this point in 1998, 2000, 2018 and last year in the championship hosted by Trinity.
