Clipped Wings: TCNJ Rolls Past No. 1 Gulls
from press release
EWING, N.J. - A slight change at the half paid huge
dividends for The College of New Jersey women's lacrosse team as
the Lions stormed back from a three-goal deficit to knock off
top-ranked Salisbury University 16-12 on Saturday.
The win kept the fifth-ranked Lions undefeated on the season at 9-0
and was the team's first win over the Sea Gulls in their last three
attempts.
The Sea Gulls (13-1) led 9-6 at the half and were able to build
that lead thanks to an 11-5 advantage in draw controls.
At the start of the second half, head coach Sharon Pfluger changed
up her personnel on the draw controls and the Lions fared much
better as the teams each won seven in that half. It was what TCNJ
did when they had possession that turned the game around in the
final 30 minutes.
After junior Ali Jaeger (Hampton, NJ/North Hunterdon) scored a
free-position shot 47 seconds into the new period, the Sea Gulls
regained that three-goal cushion as Beth Rhodey (Fallstonb,
MD/Notre Dame Prep) scored on an assist from Kim Cudmore (Bel Air,
MD/Bel Air).That goal came with just 1:32 expired in the half and
turned out to be Salisbury's last goal until there was just over a
minute remaining in the game.
Sophomore Leigh Mitchell (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) got the Lions to
within a goal with back-to-back tallies before Jaeger fired a
sidearm laser into the goal on a free-position knotting the game at
10-10.
Senior Lisa Seldeen (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) gave TCNJ the lead for
good with 20:39 left in the half and Notos followed that up with
consecutive goals that came 10 minutes apart extending the lead to
13-10.
Jaeger and Seldeen then tacked on goals while the Salisbury goalie
had vacated the net in pursuit of creating a turnover as the Lions
capped their impressive run of eight straight goals.
The Lions added another empty-netter, while Salisbury's Jessica
Chmielewski (Woodbine, MD/South Carroll) added a pair of late
scores making the final 16-12.
In the opening half, TCNJ claimed an early 2-0 before Salisbury
countered with three straight goals. The Lions held their final
lead of the half at 5-4, but the Sea Gulls used a five-goal run to
lead 9-5 before Mitchell scored for TCNJ in the closing minutes
making it a 9-6 game at the break.
Jaeger finished the game with five goals and a pair of assists with
her opening goal of the game making her the 12th player in program
history to surpass 200 career points. She has already moved into
11th place on that list as she currently has 206 points on 157
goals and 49 assists.
Mitchell finished with five goals and one assist, while Seldeen
fired in four goals.
Rhodey and Aileen McCausland (Phoenix, MD/Hereford) each had hat
tricks for Salisbury, while Cudmore dished out a game-high five
assists.
TCNJ goalie Mary Waller (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) came up big
in the second half as she made five of her eight saves in that
period.
In goal for the Sea Gulls, junior Julie Ann Caufield (Drexel Hill,
PA/Upper Darby) finished with seven saves.
The Lions have a quick turnaround as they return to New Jersey
Athletic Conference play on Monday, April 12 heading to Ramapo
College for a 4 p.m. game with the Roadrunners. Salisbury has an
even shorter break taking on Marymount University tomorrow at 8
p.m.
