JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Senior goalkeeper Cassie Lubonski (Edison, NJ/Edison) celebrated her Senior Day by making 11 quality saves in front of more than a dozen family members in attendance, reaching double figures in stops for the eighth time this season, but regionally ranked Rowan University put heavy pressure on the New Jersey City University net, scoring once in each half in a 2-0 New Jersey Athletic Conference women's soccer outcome on October 24 at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
 

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Rowan (10-2-2, 5-1-2 NJAC), ranked No. 8 in the NCAA Division III NSCAA South Atlantic Region, won its 10th game of the season and kept pace in the NJAC standings with Montclair State (5-1-2). Now with 17 points, both teams are still alive for the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament and a first round bye. Rowan and MSU trail first place TCNJ (19 points) and have a 0-0 draw head-to-head. The loss for NJCU (4-11-1, 0-8-0 NJAC) was its fifth in a row.
 
Rowan outshot NJCU, 33-1, with 15 in the first half and an 18-0 differential in the final 45. The Profs produced the winner in the 18th minute when junior forward Maxine New (Clayton, NJ/Clayton) put away a 1-on-1 breakaway pass from midfield sent by junior midfielder Lisa Cella (Middletown, NJ/Middletown North), who picked up her second assist. The Profs led 1-0 at the half.
 
Rowan, which saw 21 players log considerable time on the pitch, added a tally early in the 64th minute when freshman forward Cathryn McCarry (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) was on the receiving end of a beautiful cross from the left midfield sideline from freshman back Ali Hicks (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North). Hicks' second career assist was a 30-yard cross right onto the six yard line outside the left post and an unmarked McCarry stayed onsides before slipping a shot inside the post for her third goal of the year before a diving Lubonski could cover.
 
Lubonski made several point blank stops inside the 18 to keep the Knights in the game. Freshman keeper Courtney Simpson (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) did not face a shot on target while registering the Profs' 10th shutout of the season.
 
New had a game-high seven shots for Rowan. Sophomore forward Melissa Kelly (Parsippany, NJ/DePaul Catholic) finished with six shots (three on goal) while McCarry (three on goal) and Cella had five shots apiece.
 
OF NOTE:

• Rowan leads the all-time series, 18-0.
• Rowan was flagged for nine offsides.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU concludes its 2015 season on Wednesday, October 28 at 3 p.m. when it hosts William Paterson University (4-9-2, 1-5-1 NJAC. The Pioneers won last year's meeting in Wayne, NJ (October 29, 2014) by a 2-1 result. WP leads the all-time series, 17-2.