The No. 14 ranked TCNJ women’s lacrosse team secured a 13-11 victory against Roanoke on March 21, maintaining their unbeaten record this season.
This win marks the end of an extended home stand for the Lions, who now hold a 6-0 record and went undefeated at home throughout the month. The match featured standout performances from Marissa Lucca, who scored three goals and provided four assists, Kelly Nevins with a hat-trick, and CJ Kole who contributed two goals, two assists, and dominated draw controls.
The game saw several momentum shifts. After an early back-and-forth exchange, TCNJ pulled ahead late in the first quarter with key defensive stops by Hailey Wexler and timely goals from Nevins and Kole. The Lions led 5-2 after one quarter and maintained their advantage despite Roanoke narrowing the gap to one goal in both halves. Emily Potenza scored her first career goal just before halftime to help extend TCNJ’s lead to 8-5 at the break.
Roanoke made another push in the third quarter but penalties allowed TCNJ to regain control. The Lions capitalized on player advantages with additional goals from Lucca and Nevins. Early in the fourth quarter, quick goals from Nevins, Kole, and Evie Campbell stretched the lead to five before Roanoke responded late in the game.
Statistically, TCNJ outshot Roanoke 36-27 and succeeded on nearly all clear attempts while matching their opponent on draw controls. Several players reached personal milestones: Kole surpassed 100 career draw controls and moved into a tie for 14th place on the program’s all-time assists list; Lucca became only the 24th player in school history to score more than 150 career goals; Potenza recorded her 50th career caused turnover.
TCNJ improved its all-time series record against Roanoke to 8-0. The teams had resumed competition last year after not meeting regularly since the mid-1990s. The Lions are off to their best start since opening with seven straight wins in 2023.
Looking ahead, TCNJ will travel to Muhlenberg for a matchup between unbeaten teams scheduled for Wednesday, March 25.
