Updates on county natives at the next level
When it comes to soccer games, the players on The College of New Jersey women’s team are multitasking in their heads. They are thinking of the task at hand, but in their deeper recesses, they have the future in mind.
“Every moment that we are on the field, we keep in mind that we are working toward an NJAC (New Jersey Athletic Conference) and national championship title,” senior captain Elizabeth Thoresen noted.
The Lions are driven by some late disappointment from last season. They carried a 16-0-1 record into the NJAC Tournament final and lost to Rowan, 1-0. After winning a first-round NCAA Division III game, they lost on penalty kicks to Brandeis at home, bringing the season to a heartnumbing halt.
“The losses from both of those tournaments left the team unsatisfied and hungry for this season,” Thoresen said.
That hunger has been apparent through the campaign’s first five games. TCNJ is 5-0 and has outscored opponents 15-0 heading into Thursday night’s game at FDU Florham.
“The key has been our relentless attitude,” said Thoresen, a Red Bank Catholic graduate who collected 27 goals and 16 assists in her first three seasons. “No matter the opponent, we come out with an intensity as if the game was our last. Not many teams are ready for this type of intensity, and it has shown in the results we have achieved so far.”
As is expected by a Joe Russo-coached team, the Lions have been suffocating defensively. They have allowed 23 shots and just 11 of them were on goal. The defensive starters are Kelly Wieczerzak, Ally DeRiggi, Jen McGrogan and Ally Weaver.
“The collaborative efforts between each member of the back line has contributed to our clean sheet,” Thoresen said. “Our defense is a package deal, each one of them has been a key to our success in the season thus far. And every player on the field, including the forwards and midfielders, has a defensive responsibility. This type of defensive attitude puts incredible pressure on opposing teams by forcing them to play out of their comfort zone.”
Offensively, things are a bit different than last year, when Robbinsville’s Christine Levering and Thoresen had 18 and 10 goals, respectively, while the third player on the list had six. That’s not to say the scoring disappeared, as the next eight players had between three and six goals.
But this season, things are a little more spread out. Levering still leads the team with four goals and two assists and Hannah Richman has three goals, while six other players have a combined eight. And five other women have assists.
“As of right now, the scoring has been pretty balanced,” Thoresen said. “I would look out for the performances of the underclassmen. Each member of the team on any given day can make a positive contribution toward the scoring during the season. This is incredibly dangerous, as it is much more difficult to mark two players than all 10 field players.”
For her part, the Colts Neck native has two goals as she continues to be expected to score goals and create opportunities from her forward spot. She also relishes her role as a captain, saying, “I try to serve as an unrelenting positive example and help to bring out the best in my teammates, so they can positively contribute to the team’s success.”
The Lions moved up to No. 5 in the latest NCAA Division III rankings and earned a big early-season win over then-No. 13 Johns Hopkins on Sep. 13. It’s not as if TCNJ needed an extra shot of belief in itself, but the result gave the players an indication of where they stand.
“A victory over a team like Hopkins is a great confidence booster for us, especially for the younger girls who have recently joined the squad,” Thoresen said. “Nevertheless, the Hopkins game also had significant value for the returners. Last year, we came up short in the last eight seconds in the game against Hopkins, which resulted in a 1-1 draw. That game was a representation of how our season concluded last year. We had come up short.
“This year, we wanted nothing less than those three points, an NJAC title, and a national championship title. The Hopkins game was a step in the right direction towards these goals and has fueled the team’s unparalleled passion to win.”