EWING – Before Lion’s Stadium fills with the thuds of a soccer ball being kicked up and down the field, it will fill with the cheers of teammates and parents – but not the kind that follows a Lions’ goal.
On Wednesday, six Lions will bid farewell to their home field as the College of New Jersey women’s soccer team takes on the Stockton Ospreys in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) matchup at 7:30 PM, the final home game of the year for the Lions.
“They’re high at the top,” head coach Joe Russo said of how his seniors this year compare to past classes. “I
don’t think you can judge their worth by championships. They’re just phenomenal people who have been great leaders for us, and they have accomplished quite a bit in a short period of time.”
It is no coincidence that the Lions have experienced great success since this group of girls came together during the 2014 season. According to TCNJ Athletics, in those four years, they have soared to a record of 59-8-7, including a 28-2-2 record within the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
“It is one of the better conferences in the country,” Russo said earlier this season.
Those records prove to be more impressive by the fact that a lot of teams tend to step their games up when they play the Lions.
“We’ve become very accustomed to learn that we’re the biggest game on everyone’s schedule so we get their best game,” said Russo. “It’s just something we have to deal with.”
While this senior class has had an extended run of success against NJAC competition, the team as a whole has become a nightmare for Stockton, specifically, over the years. The Lions, according to TCNJ Athletics, have not lost to the Ospreys since 2008, and they will look to extend that streak and send their seniors out with a win before closing out the regular season on the road.
Despite the success, it will be business as always following the senior night ceremony for the Lions as coach Russo will not underestimate his opponent.
“Every year is different, every team is different, every game is different,” said Russo. “Nick Juengert does a great job with them. They’re organized and they fight hard so it’s not an easy game.”
Once the ceremony has commenced and the pictures have been posed for, the Lions know that they will need to keep their emotions in check and be ready for the Ospreys, who will be looking to hand the Lions their first loss of the season while simultaneously ending their own near decade long stretch of futility against The College of New Jersey.
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