@chris_mellusi[/author_info] [/author]
EWING – The College of New Jersey has won 25 consecutive games dating back to last year and the Lions hope to keep that streak alive as they enter the middle of their season
TCNJ will look to continue their dominance tonight at 7:30 p.m. as they take on an Eastern team, which is currently riding an eight game winning streak.
Mikayla Cimilluca, senior captain, knows the Lions are well prepared for this tough contest between two good squads.
“We know this team is going to give us a good game and we want to match that by giving them just as good of one,” Cimilluca said. “We have been doing lots of full field stuff and many game-like scenarios and drills.”
TCNJ knows this game is going to be different then the last time the two teams met. The Lions and Eagles met in 2014, but that game was completely lopsided. The Lions ended up winning the game 7-1. The Eagles finished the year 8-10, while the Lions won a national championship.
Players and coaches of TCNJ know this isn’t the same Eastern team they saw last year, but this week’s preparation has not been any different then any other week.
“We practice hard everyday, individually trying to perfect our game and as a team trying to make each other look good,” Cimilluca said. “It is important that what we practice translates to our games.”
Eastern is on a hot streak as it has not lost since the first game of the season in which the team suffered a tough loss to an excellent Montclair State program. Nicole Berger, goalie for Eastern, has been in command of every game this season with 54 saves and a couple of shutouts.
“The opponent has a great goalie. She has been amazing all year,” Cimillucaa said. “This will be a good test for us.”
The Lions are coming off some big wins that have the team feeling good. They defeated a Manhattanville College team that was arguably the best team in the country as well as a Salisbury team that gave them all they could handle.
With a win against Eastern tonight, the team moves one step closer to the playoffs and its goal of a second-straight national championship.