The Rowan field hockey season ended Saturday, Nov. 11, after a 2-1 loss to the No. 10 ranked Tufts University in the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament.
After scoring in the Profs first-round victory over Hartwick University, Julia Cavicchio picked up where she left off, this time sneaking the ball past the goalie in the final minute of the first quarter to give Rowan the early 1-0 advantage.
The Profs kept this lead until the midway mark of the second when Mia D’Angelo got the ball past goalie Mariah Juiliano to tie it at one. A few minutes later, Rachel Scrivanich scored to give Tufts a 2-1 lead, which proved to be enough to send the Jumbos to the next round of the tournament.
While the Profs didn’t accomplish their goal of winning a national title, there were still many positives from the season, as they finished the year 12-8 and won the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) for the third straight year.
“I felt more positive than negative,” Head Coach Michelle Andre said. “Clearly a loss can be construed as a negative, but I think it kind of left a taste in our mouths going forward. We were resilient all year, we had our backs up against the wall and drove them in. It was a competitive, back-and-forth game that game could have gone either way.”
That resilience showed time and time again, as Rowan managed to overcome a slow start. With four games to go in the season, the Profs were just 6-6, however, a strong late-season push really boosted their confidence entering the NJAC tournament, where they won another conference championship.
For the seniors on the team, Saturday’s game marked the end of a great career at Rowan. They won many games over the years, giving them memories that will last a lifetime.
“The seniors were able to be a part of three NJAC Championships, two Final Fours, and some Sweet 16s. Most people go through their career and do not get to experience those things, so I think that is a good legacy for them,” Andre said.
Now with their sights set on next year, the goal is nothing short of a National Championship.
“You always want to get better, and you always want bring in people that are as good, if not better than what you had in the program,” Andre said. “This team’s core has that drive and help is on the way with the next class coming in.”
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