EWING – After winning 17 games, posting 13 shutouts and toppling opponents all season long, The College of New Jersey women’s soccer team found themselves in an unfamiliar situation.
The Lions had just played a grueling double-overtime match against Brandeis University in the second round of the 2016 NCAA women’s soccer national tournament at Lions Stadium. The end result was a 1-1 tie and the team was stuck in a penalty-kick shootout.
Brandeis stunned the home crowd as they defeated the Lions in a 4-2 penalty shootout.
TCNJ women’s soccer team was good, but they were not good enough to win the Division III National Championship. Despite the loss, the team’s biggest challenge coming into the 2017 season was continuing its winning momentum.
The team needed to replace key senior players like goalkeeper Jessica Weeder, midfielder Marissa Scognamiglio and defender Brianna Petro.
Fortunately for the Lions, there was great mix of experience from the seniors, to the juniors and to the sophomores.
Sophomore goalkeeper Nicole DiPasquale, who started three games during the 2016 season, was ready to become the backbone of the Lions defense this season. She owes much of her skill to Weeder.
“Playing under Jessica Weeder was a great experience and I definitely learned a lot,” DiPasquale said. “She was not only a great goalkeeper, but also a great mentor.”
DiPasquale also had fellow sophomore defenders Ally Deriggi and Jen McGrogan to anchor the Lions defense.
Aside from the stifling defense, the team had a prolific offense. Coming into the season, senior forward Elizabeth Thoresen had recorded 27 goals and 16 assists. Senior midfielder Jessica Goldman was not far behind as she had 18 goals and 20 assists at that point.
However, the centerpiece of the Lions offense was senior forward Christine Levering. During the past four years (with the exception to 2015, which she missed due to injury), Levering had sparked the Lions’ offense with goal after goal. With 45 career goals, Levering was set for another high scoring season.
The 2017 season started in typical fashion for TCNJ women’s soccer team. At the Haverford College Kick Off Classic, the Lions cruised through York College of Pennsylvania and Arcadia University, beating both by 3-0.
The team then followed up with a 4-0 crushing away victory against Ursinus College. Yet, the Lions would have to face a formidable foe for their first home match of the season.
John Hopkins University has always been a worthy competitor for the Lions. The 2015 matchup ended in a 110 minute stalemate with no goal on either side. The following year featured both teams being locked in a 2-2 tie.
In 2017, the Lions weren’t going to accept another tie. Both teams fought in a defensive struggle. DiPasquale proved to be a great successor to Weeder as she made two crucial saves. It was only fitting for Levering to score the game winning goal off a chipping pass from Deriggi in the 91st minute.
“It felt amazing,” Levering said. “It was one of those matches where which team wanted it more. Our team needed to spread the ball across the midfield. I’ve always thought about the game. It was good fight. A forward physical game. It was a huge test for us with the top teams in the country going at it. But there’s always room for improvement.”
The Lions only kept improving after the contentious victory.
The team went on to win their next eight games – all shutouts. The Lions kept filling their scoresheets with nothing but 0’s on their opponent’s side. According to TCNJ Athletics website, DiPasquale had played 1,053.24 minutes without conceding a single goal. The website also said it was the 11st longest scoreless streak in NCAA Division III women’s soccer history.
The streak ended on Oct. 14 when the team got into a back-and-forth matchup at Montclair State University. Nevertheless, the team won 3-2 to continue their undefeated season.
Fast forward to this year’s New Jersey Athletic Conference championship. After recording perfect 9-0 conference record, the women’s soccer team was at Lions Stadium on a Friday night on Nov. 3. Once again, Montclair State was right on the verge of knocking off the Lions in the NJAC Championship.
The Lions were not going to lose another conference final.
In the 2014 NJAC championship, the Lions lost in penalty kicks at Montclair State. The next two years featured two consecutive NJAC championship losses to Rowan University.
TCNJ women’s soccer and Montclair State were locked in stalemate in the first half as both teams battled for possession. Thoresen nearly scored in the 29th minute when she went one-on-one with Montclair State’s goalkeeper.
The match then grew physical on both sides as TCNJ and Montclair State combined for a whopping 28 fouls and three yellow cards. The home crowd, especially students, were loving the physical play.
The Lions offense then kicked into high gear in the second half. In the 69th minute, senior forward Hannah Richman gathered a cross from senior midfielder Jessica Goldman and tapped in the Lions sole goal of the night. The goal was more than enough to win the NJAC tournament for first time since 2013.
“It honestly didn’t hit me at the time,” Goldman said. “It was surreal to be celebrating with the team after three years of losing in the NJAC final.”
The Lions were not done yet as they clinched home field advantage for the opening two rounds of the NCAA tournament. The team went on to blank both Roger Williams University and Virginia Wesleyan, 3-0.
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