@ColeTrain4EVER[/author_info] [/author]
EWING – Standing behind a sprayed-on line of white foam, junior midfielder Lauren Malajin stepped up and readied herself. The kick had to be angled to right way, over the defender and low enough to make it in the net.
The whistle blew, she ran up and kicked and less than three seconds later the whistle blew again.
Goal. Her third of the game against New Jersey City University.
Amid a sea of goals and shots on Saturday at TCNJ’s Soccer Complex, Malajin was not only able to net three goals in a 9-0 win over the Gothic Knights, but she also earned the team’s ‘player of the game’ helmet, which is extra special considering almost everyone on the Lions’ roster played.
Meaning she really was the best player on the team that day.
She thinks that everything just clicked together.
“I was in the right place at the right time,” Malajin said. “I was able to be in the right place for the pass or to break away.”
After a strong freshman season that saw her take 25 shots and score four goals, her sophomore year marked a slow down to just 10 shots but netting only one goal.
This year, however, she has blown past her previous totals combined, scoring eight goals with five games still left to go on the schedule. There doesn’t seem like any reason for her to slow down.
The aggressive play style she has adapted this year really sets her apart. She isn’t afraid to battle for the ball whenever she can, against any opponent, which not only made her a major threat on Saturday, but all season as well.
With her team still battling in the upper half of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) for dominance though, she believes games like this one aren’t something that should be used as an example.
“We did well today, but we need to focus on our next game,” she said. “What we did today was great, but it won’t mean a thing in the next game.”
Malajin is already figuring out how she and the team can improve based on what she did and saw.
“We did well in the game, but always can fix things,” Malajin explained. “Our possession, we’re always working on possessing the ball and getting it quickly.”