Rowan lacrosse ended its four-game losing streak on Monday, March 18 with an 18-4 win that handed the Clarkson Golden Knights their first loss of the season. The Profs now stand at 3-4 on the young season as they try to pick themselves up after a tough skid.
Elaina Corson (four goals), Calista Burke (four goals), Molly Green (three goals), and Alexis Lowry (three goals) were huge contributors to the blowout win as the four teammates combined for 14 of the team’s 18 goals.
“It was definitely a team effort,” Corson said. “Especially coming off of four losses in a row, I think we really needed that win. Everyone on the team just brought the energy, and kept hitting goal after goal.”
Teamwork and ball movement have been big aspects of the game that head coach Lindsay Delaney has preached to her team throughout the season, and against Clarkson, it was very visible as the team totaled seven assists and kept the ball in motion no matter the coverage, always looking for the best shot.
“The work they put in before the game showed during the game,” Delaney said. “A lot of connections. It doesn’t say a lot of assists but it felt like more of a team effort… It wasn’t just one person going and everyone watching. It was a lot of people on the same page trying to finish and create lanes and opportunities.”
“Everyone was excited to be there,” Lowry said. “There was a common goal and that was to work together and win.”
The Profs absolutely dominated on both sides of the ball, and really helped first-year starting goalie Mel Rogers protect the net from numerous attempts to score by Clarkson, making Rodgers’ life easier.
“I saw our defense play better, which gave their shots low angles, and Mel came up with saves she was supposed to come up with,” Delaney said.
With the Profs being on the younger side this year, they were expected to hit some rough patches early in the season to help them gel together when it really matters in NJACs and the NCAAs, but Delaney is already seeing great signs of improvement just seven games into the season.
“We’re constantly seeing something different with them, so just a cohesive experience playing for each other and making each other look good. I would love to see more communication on the field overall, a growth in leadership from our younger players, and just more commitment to consistency across the board,” Delaney said.
Looking ahead to the Profs’ next matchup against Scranton University on March 21, Delaney is expecting her players to keep their composure, as they already know that the Royal Wolves are a very physical team, and she wants her team to adapt to whatever it is that they decide to throw at them.
“They’ll probably throw two or three defensive sets against us, so to throw off the rhythm I wanna see them fight through that.”
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