Lacrosse Falls to .500 With Overtime Loss to FDU

For the Rowan lacrosse team, Tuesday’s game could not have finished in a more heart-breaking fashion.

With Rowan head coach Lindsay Delaney absent due to illness, FDU-Florham attack Kristen Schuster scored on a free-position shot with seven seconds left in overtime, as the Profs’ fell 14-13 in Madison, N.J. The goal came on the heels of Florham’s game-tying score by midfielder/attack Breana Kilpatrick with only one second left in regulation. The loss drops Rowan (6-6) back to the .500 mark for the season, which further hinders the Profs’ chances of making the playoffs.

In the overtime period, FDU senior attack Amanda Wayne scored on an unassisted goal shortly before the mid-point. Rowan junior attack Tori Hart responded 23 seconds later with a goal of her own. Unfortunately, the scoring in overtime did not end with the Hart goal, and Florham scored the winning goal in the closing seconds.

“Words can’t explain it. The rug was pulled out from under us,” freshman midfielder Michelle Lubrano said.

Hart led the way with four goals and an assist, and sophomore midfielder Trish Harrington had a hat trick of her own. However, the defense could not consistently stop the Florham attack. The Profs earned their largest lead at 11-8 on an unassisted goal by senior midfielder Carly Welsh with a little more than 10 minutes left in regulation, but the defense allowed four goals in the last seven minutes.

“I believe our defense played well,” Harrington said. “We communicated well, but they took it to us hard.”

The FDU-Florham game was the third of a four-game road stretch. Rowan responded to a loss at Stevens with a 15-10 defeat over Montclair State last Saturday. Welsh led all scorers with five goals and two assists. Senior midfielder Kelly Angstadt added three goals, while sophomores Alli Dickey and Ali Goodman contributed with two goals apiece.

“The offense read the [Montclair State] defense well,” Delaney said. “We pushed the ball coming out defensively and we were patient on defense.”

While senior goalie Alicia Mannino has returned to the starting lineup and has played every minute in the each of the last three games, senior attack Lauren Crennan has come off the bench in the last two games. Both Crennan and Dickey have accumulated three goals and one assist so far since the lineup switch.

“[The switch] was all about doing the best for who’s doing well,” Delaney commented. “Crennan is play well, but just not as well as she’d like. It’s all about taking care of her and what would make her successful.”

At 6-6, the Profs may need to win out to reach the postseason. Despite having a 3-0 record against NJAC teams, Rowan does not have a guaranteed shot at making the playoffs since the NJAC lacrosse champion does not receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Profs’ season continues today at Radnor, Pa., against Cabrini College before the team hosts Catholic University on Monday at 6 p.m. at John Page Field. Catholic eliminated Rowan in the playoffs last year, so the Profs have an extra incentive to avoid elimination again.

“Each one of the games are going to be competitive,” Delaney said. “I hope we continue to play as a team and as a group.”