LAWRENCEVILLE, VA (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com) | 20 wins. Only three losses. That's the incredible streak that the No. 8 ranked New Jersey City University women's bowling team has assembled since November 13, and on the first day of a three-day trip to South Central Virginia, the Gothic Knights continued to use a young and balanced lineup to chalk up victories. NJCU went undefeated for the third time in nine dates of competition this season and tied for first place overall among 12 schools at the CIAA/NEC Challenge.
NJCU improved its staggering record to 29-11—good for a .725 winning percentage. Since opening the year with a 7-6 record, the Gothic Knights are 22-5, equivalent to a .815 win percentage.
The CIAA/NEC Challenge featured five quad-Baker matches featuring six members of the Northeast Conference—including NJCU—and five members of the Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. No. 5 ranked University of Central Missouri, a Division II power not affiliated with the CIAA, also participated. The 12 schools were gearing up for the St. Paul's Invitational this weekend.
NJCU opened with a 704-670 victory against Bowie State University before hammering host St. Paul's College by 130 pins, winning 688-558. In the match, the Knights crushed Virginia State University, 766-594—a 172 pin margin.
In the fourth match, NJCU posted its most impressive win of the day, routing fifth-ranked Central Missouri in a high-scoring affair, as the Gothic Knights prevailed 836-746. The Knights capped the day with an easy 739-599, 140-pin victory against Elizabeth City State University.
While NJCU's opening starting lineup featured junior AMY BREHM (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick), freshman #CATHERINE ROTOLO# (Edison, NJ/Edison), sophomore lefty KELLY DAUNNO (Carteret, NJ/Carteret), junior JENNIFER DAUNNO (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) and reigning NCAA Division III National Player of the Year, senior NICOLE DREJERWSKI (Levittown, PA/Conwell-Egan Catholic), all eight players on the trip saw considerable action.
After a long road trip to Virginia, NJCU's opening match with Bowie State proved to be the closest of the day, as NJCU won by 34 pins, defeating the Bulldogs for the eighth straight meeting since 2007, 704-670. Brehm, Rotolo, Kelly and JENNIFER DAUNNO and Drejerwski started with Baginsky subbing for Rotolo in the third game. The Knights tossed scores of 186-137-174-207. Bowie rolled a four-game string of 163-142-142-223.
In the 688-558 lopsided victory against St. Paul's, NJCU improved to 11-0 all-time against the Tigers as Brehm, Baginsky, KELLY DAUNNO, JENNIFER DAUNNO and Drejerwski teamed for a 167-162-201-158 set. SPC shot 143-144-127-144.
For the first time in the illustrious history of the Gothic Knight bowling program, NJCU started four freshmen in a quad Baker match. So much for inexperience, as NJCU's 172-pin rout of Virginia State, 766-594, was its most lopsided of the day as Johnson, Rotolo, Lane, and Baginsky teamed with reigning NEC Player of the Week JENNIFER DAUNNO for a four-game set of 204-153-216-193. The Trojans rolled 138-160-145-151. NJCU is 7-1 all-time against Virginia State and has won seven straight.
Only four schools have qualified for the NCAA Championship every season—NJCU, Central Missouri, Nebraska and Maryland Eastern Shore. In the second meeting this season between NJCU and Central Missouri, it was the Gothic Knights improving to 2-0 between the perennial powers this year. But after winning by just five pins in the first meeting of the season on November 19, the Knights did not leave this contest to chance, tossing two massive games of 247 and 236, before claiming the match, 836-746. NJCU rolled a string of 196-247-157-236; the Jennies notched a four-game set of 171-205-181-189. The 247 was a season-best Baker score for NJCU.
NJCU, now 7-5 against the Jennies since 2007, including a win in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, started three freshmen in the match based on their success in the Virginia State contest as Johnson, Rotolo, Baginsky, Drejerwski and JENNIFER DAUNNO got the nod. And in the fourth game, Johnson, despite her youth, made a veteran move—pulling herself from the match in favor of KELLY DAUNNO.
The move paid off as KELLY DAUNNO struck twice in the leadoff position—frame one and six. Her strike in the first frame began a streak of four in a row for NJCU. When she struck again in the sixth frame, the Knights would tack on a turkey as Rotolo and Baginsky also struck twice.
Five-time national coach of the year FRANK PARISI was impressed with Johnson's move and noted how it's an example of the quick maturation of this year's young group.
“Ashley was struggling and pulled herself out of the game. Without a doubt, this shows how unselfish this team is and is the recipe for our success. They recognize it is a team and they put the team first. If they 'don't have it' they know someone else can come in and do the job and so far this season, people have done the job when called upon. They're doing what's best for the team and players not starting are staying ready so if they're called upon, they are ready to perform.”
In the final match, NJCU improved to 6-0 all-time against Elizabeth City as the Knights tossed a 225 in the opening game and cruised to a 739-599 win. KELLY DAUNNO, Rotolo, Brehm, Baginsky, and Drejerwski combined for scores of 225-143-190-181. The Vikings collected game scores of 154-152-153-140.
NJCU continues its Virginia trip on December 4 in the two-day Jeanette Lee Invitational hosted by St. Paul's College. Last year, NJCU placed 2nd of 20 teams in the field and went a combined 11-0. Day one of the 22-team tournament this year begins at 12 p.m. with five-person traditional team games.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
|
QUADRUPLE BAKER GAMES
|
PINFALL
|
GAMES
|
AVG.
|
W/L/T
|
|
NJCU
|
186
|
137
|
174
|
207
|
704
|
0.8
|
880
|
W
|
|
Bowie State
|
163
|
142
|
142
|
223
|
670
|
0.8
|
837.5
|
|
|
NJCU
|
167
|
162
|
201
|
158
|
688
|
0.8
|
860
|
W
|
|
St. Paul's
|
143
|
144
|
127
|
144
|
558
|
0.8
|
697.5
|
|
|
NJCU
|
204
|
153
|
216
|
193
|
766
|
0.8
|
957.5
|
W
|
|
Virginia State
|
138
|
160
|
145
|
151
|
594
|
0.8
|
742.5
|
|
|
NJCU
|
196
|
247
|
157
|
236
|
836
|
0.8
|
1045
|
W
|
|
Central Missouri
|
171
|
205
|
181
|
189
|
746
|
0.8
|
932.5
|
|
|
NJCU
|
225
|
143
|
190
|
181
|
739
|
0.8
|
923.75
|
W
|
|
Elizabeth City State
|
154
|
152
|
153
|
140
|
599
|
0.8
|
748.75
|
|
|
BAKER GAME AVERAGE
|
|
Baker Total Pinfall:
|
3733
|
|
Baker Total Games:
|
4
|
|
Baker Team Average:
|
933.25
|
|
Baker Player Average:
|
186.65
|
