The Rowan women’s soccer team returned home and picked up another New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) win on Wednesday, Sept. 28, after a 4-0 victory against the New Jersey City University (NJCU) Gothic Knights.
For Head Coach Scott Leacott, the win was a perfect end to a great birthday.
“When you get my age, birthdays aren’t as exciting as they are when you’re a kid,” Coach Leacott said. “But it’s always nice to get a win.”
The Profs were able to stay hot offensively, as midfielder Simone Pacetti scored her second goal in as many games and forward Nina Carlson added a goal of her own. Sophomore midfielder Gabby Dean netted the first two goals of her collegiate career, with her second goal being one that wasn’t even meant for the net, as it bounced off a Gothic Knight and went in.
“Well I went to cross, and I was looking for Jill [Jankowski] on the far post, and the defender kind of got a foot on it, and it happened to go in the back of the net… It was in the game plan,” Dean said in a joking manner, referring to the goal that went off an NJCU player.
After back-to-back games of putting up four goals, the Profs and freshman midfielder Julianna Giordano believe their ball movement and patience have been a crucial part of the offensive success.
“I think we worked together, not taking so many touches and doing the one to two passes, and not rushing into the play,” Giordano said. “We connected on passes to get up the field and then had some crosses, and we could have scored more.”
One of the things that hindered the Profs’ offense on Wednesday was the number of offside calls against the team, as they picked up seven in the first half and ten total, but Coach Leacott wants his team to know that he isn’t concerned about that and just wants them to play their brand of soccer.
“We want them to be aggressive. Sometimes they weren’t smart offsides, but sometimes when you’re trying to be a little bit aggressive offensively,” Coach Leacott said. “There were a couple of really close ones that maybe I didn’t think were offside, but I want them to keep aggressive. If you start backing off from that and just worrying about the offside, your attack isn’t going to be all that great.”
One of the close offsides Coach Leacott is talking about occurred when Julianna Giordano passed the ball to her sister, Olivia Giordano and it looked like the two had connected for a goal, but a late offside call wiped it off.
“That would have been very cool,” Julianna Giodano said. “Me and her play very well together because we’ve played together for most of our lives so it’s a little annoying that it didn’t happen, but that’s alright. I want it to happen again.”
After concluding a four-game road trip that ended with their first NJAC win against the Kean University Cougars on Saturday, Sept. 24, Coach Leacott is happy to be back in Glassboro.
“We didn’t have to step on the bus today, thank god,” Coach Leacott. “It’s tough traveling and doing all that but it’s good to be back.”
The Profs will look to improve to 3-0 in the conference and pick up their seventh win overall as the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders come to town on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 12 p.m.
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