Stay aggressive and communicate on defense. Those were the two keys that once again assisted the Rowan women’s soccer team in clinching the 3-1 on Wednesday, Sept. 7, against Manhattanville College.
Senior forward Nina Carlson put the Profs on the board in the ninth minute of play with the first of her two goals and the Profs never looked back. Sophomore forward Jillian Jankowski netted a goal of her own in the 66th minute and picked up an assist on Carlson’s second goal of the night.
Carlson and the Profs knew that if they were aggressive, things would eventually fall in their favor.
“There was a lot of balls to be won,” Carlson said. “So we knew that if we came out aggressive and went for every 50/50 [ball,] that ultimately, a goal would come along the way.”
Rowan’s defense picked up right where they left off from their last game against Farmingdale State College, holding Manhattanville to just one shot in the first half and three shots total. Manhattanville’s midfielder Natalie Aracena netted the lone goal for the Valiants off a penalty shot in the 68th minute.
“We worked really hard in preseason and we all had chemistry,” Calista Burke, the Profs’ sophomore goalie, said. “We all had played together last year, and we all communicate a lot. I try to communicate a lot from my angle and I think that’s what helped us today.”
The Profs now have a four-game road trip staring at them, but that’s not to say they dread going on the road.
“It might be nice to get on the bus, get on a road trip, not worry about anything pregame, anything like that,” Coach Leacott said. “I’m looking forward to it. I’m sure they are. You also get a little team bonding on those trips.”
The Profs will look to keep the win streak alive on Saturday, Sept. 10, as they head up to Hackettstown, NJ to take on the Centenary University Cyclones.
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