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EWING – The College of New Jersey’s field hockey squad sees strength in its humility, and is not taking anything for granted.
Fresh off a 4-1 win against Manhattanville College, the nation’s top-ranked squad according to the National Field Hockey Association’s NCAA Coaches Poll, looks to continue its early season dominance tonight against Gwynedd-Mercy at 7:30 p.m. in Lions’ Stadium.
Although the Lions remain undefeated, as their winning streak was extended to seven games on Tuesday, both players and coaches alike cannot stress enough the importance of remaining humble, and never underestimating their opponents.
“At this point, really every game is huge for us, and we never walk into a game thinking, ‘oh, this is going to be easy,’” said TCNJ head coach Sharon Pfluger. “That is one of the greatest things about our players, it’s that they respect our opponents. They are very humble, and they work hard and they respect their opponents.”
Even after winning the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship last year, the Lions have not allowed their success to get the best of them, as the team manages to remain focused and grounded under Pfluger’s leadership.
Gwynedd Mercy comes into the game at 4-3, and on the heels of a tough 5-2 loss to Montclair State on Saturday. This result of that game, though, will have no bearing on the way in which the Lions approach their upcoming match.
“It’s always a good game against Gwynedd-Mercy,” Pfluger said. “They are a very competitive program, and we will be looking forward to playing them.”
TCNJ has played the Griffins once each year since 2011, winning each time. During the team’s championship run last year, TCNJ stopped Gwynedd-Mercy 4-2, with current team captain Alicia Wagner scoring in the game.
“I think it would just be a big thing if we could keep playing the way we’ve been playing, and have our passing game,” Wagner said of the matchup. “I think we’ll be okay.”
Wagner was also instrumental in the Lion’s last game against Manhattanville, where she scored in the 69th minute of play.
Looking to help lead the charge against Gwyndd Mercy, fellow Lion’s captain Mikayla Cimilluca is prepared for a good team effort on Thursday.
“I think we just need to capitalize early and play like we’ve been playing, as a whole team,” Cimilluca said. “As long as we all play together, we should be more than successful.”
In the meantime, the Lions remain humble and grounded, as the girls are confident that their skills and hard work will do the talking against Gwynedd Mercy.
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