TCNJ all set to host the defending national champion

Whenever schedules are released players, coaches and fans check to the see when those big rivalry games are scheduled.

The wait is over for the Division III showdown between No. 4 The College of New Jersey and No. 1 and defending national champion Messiah (4-0) as they will tangle on Saturday at 6 p.m. on the Lions Stadium turf.

“It is always a great game when we get together,’’ said TCNJ’s Hall of Fame coach Sharon Pflufger. “It is always a good game and it’s two programs that have a lot of respect for each other. We are looking forward to the challenge.’’

It’s amazing how close these two programs are in many ways.

This will be the 27th meeting and the Lions lead the series, 14-12. Messiah leads in goals scored in the series, 53-51. The Falcons claimed a 4-2 win last year along the way to their first national championship.

Messiah has won 25 straight since the season-opening loss to Division II Shippensburg in 2016, and it has not lost to a Division III school since TCNJ defeated them in the Elite Eight in 2015.

If there’s a difference between the two, it’s in the national championship category as the Lions have 11, including nine under Pfluger.

Messiah has been playing like it’s not going to give the title up easily with wins over No. 3 Salisbury and then No. 7 Ursinus.

Carissa Gehman leads the Falcons with six goals, and the defense has allowed just one goal in the last three games.

TCNJ has gotten a great start from freshman Tori Tiefenthaler, the NJAC Player of the Week. Tiefenthaler, who has six goals on the season, is second in the nation in goals per game and points per game.

Sidney Padilla is fourth in the nation in assists per game with four.

Both programs always have national title aspirations and this will be a good early season test for both.

NJAC Notes:

Montclair State is ranked No. 8 and Kean is at No. 20. Rider Looks to Rebound

It has been a rough stretch for the Broncs (2-3) having lost three straight. They will look to get back on a winning note Friday night when they host Towson in their first home game of the season.

“Last week was not the week we’d hoped for,’’ said Rider coach Lori Hussong. “We need to improve defensively as we are allowing too many shots on goal this year. Everyone needs to help defend our goal and be ready to attack with intensity. We need to work on cashing in on our scoring opportunities by staying poised and ready when we get our opportunities.’’

Towson (0-6) just might be the right team at the right time for the Broncs as they faced a pair of nationally ranked teams last week in Maryland and American and were on the short end of a combined 13-0 score.

Ally Baligian leads the Broncs with three goals and seven points and Eline DeJong has a pair of goals. Lena Vandam has a 1.84 goals against average in the cage.

The Broncs are young, but there are enough veterans to get the newcomers up to speed on the college game and erase the memories of three straight losses.

MAAC Notes:

Monmouth is the only MAAC team with a winning non-conference record at 4-2. The rest of the league is 6-29.

Things Not Getting Easier for Princeton

The No. 15 Tigers (1-3) finally got their first win of the season with a 4-1 win over previously-unbeaten No. 24 Rutgers, but then No. 3 Penn State handed them a 2-0 loss.

This week it’s two more highly regarded foes in No. 4 Duke on the road Sunday and then on Tuesday they make the trek to No. 9 Maryland.

Ryan McCarthy, who had a breakout season in 2016, scored a pair on the win over Rutgers, and Mary Kate Neff notched her first collegiate goal.

Neff earned the Ivy Rookie of the Week honors for her one goal and one assist performance against the Scarlet Knights.

Scarlet Knights Head North

No. 24 Rutgers (4-2) will look to right the ship at Cornell on Friday at 5 p.m., and then Sunday it’s a trip to No. 3 Syracuse.

The Scarlet Knights are led by Daphne Groothius with 15 points on six goals and three assists, and Linde van Schaik has four assists.

Rutgers coach Meredith Civico believes the Scarlet Knights will learn from last week’s losses to Princeton and St. Joseph’s.