Montclair, NJ – Freshman forward Krystyna Hovell scored twice as No. 4 Rowan University knocked off No. 7 Montclair State 4-1 to claim the NJAC regular-season championship at Sprague Field on Saturday evening.
Julie Johnson and Rachel Galante each had a goal for the Profs who remained undefeated at 16-0 while finishing off its conference slate at 6-0. Rowan will be the No. 1 seed in the NJAC Tournament which begins on Wednesday, October 31.
Junior
KELLY WATSON had a goal for Montclair State, which had its eight-game winning streak snapped with the loss. MSU (15-2) finishes 5-1 in league play and will be the No. 2 seed in the tournament hosting the other semifinal on Halloween evening.
Hovell gave the Profs a 1-0 lead just past the 15-minute park of the contest. Taking a long ball from Kristina Castagnola, Hovell carried the ball in from the left side before reversing a shot across the goal and inside the far post for her ninth goal of the season.
Montclair State answered six minutes later converting a penalty corner. Senior
AMBER HASLETT fired a shot from eight yards out that Watson tipped in over the head of goalkeeper Morgan Novak knotting the game at 1-1.
Rowan regained the lead three minutes into the second half. Hovell got off two shots that were saves by Montclair's
NICOLE ANDRIANI. However, Hovell was able to flick over a sprawled out Andriani for her second of the game and a 2-1 Profs advantage.
Novak kept that lead in tact as she made six saves over the next 13 minutes, including a pair by
VICTORIA ROSSI in the 41
st minute as well as a follow-up shot by Bollinger. She added two more three minutes later and denied
ELIZABETH CIMILLUCA at the 45:24 mark before Rowan tacked on a third score. That came from Johnson, who took a corner insert and moved to her right before tucking a shot from 10 yards out inside the left post for her seventh of the year with 18:32 to play. Galante, the Profs' leading scorer, added the final goal with 12:17 to play, a 12-yard shot from the right, her 23
rd of the season.
Novak finished with 12 saves for Rowan, which outshot Montclair State 20-17. Andriani made eight saves for MSU.
The Red Hawks play their final regular-season game next week as it travels to Babson College for an 11am start on Saturday, October 27.
