GLASSBORO - The Rowan women's lacrosse team will mark the school's return to competition when it opens the 2021 season by hosting seventh-ranked Salisbury on Wednesday, March 3 at Coach Richard Wackar Stadium. Game time is 4 p.m.
 
The Profs return to Wackar Stadium for the first time since March 11, 2020, when they played Washington College in the final home game before the pandemic canceled the seasons for all of Rowan's spring teams, and eventually, the fall and winter sports in 2020-21.

Video streaming will be available thru Rowan Athletics' YouTube site  - WATCH
 
(Due to COVID-19 protocols, fans are not permitted in the stadium unless they are among the two parents/guardians per Rowan student-athlete.)
 
The return to the field after a shortened 2020 season provides an added excitement and incentive for the Profs, who found out just a week before the opener that the season would be played. "The emotion they showed (when finding out they were returning to play) was surreal," said 14th-year head coach Lindsay Delaney of the team's reaction to the news.
 
"The focus (in the preseason) has just been getting them back into contact. Getting back to what it's feels like when a defender is hitting you and you have to handle the ball. It's also been getting back to big play scenarios. We did so much small skill set work in the fall, that we went to the spring, it was time to put the pieces together," said the coach.
 
Rowan features a very young squad, with a total of 17 sophomores and freshmen, which provides a challenge for the coaches to discover what their strengths are as a unit. "We're trying to figure out what plays work for them as a group, what defensive sets will work best and the situations with a group. Half the sophomores and freshman last year didn't play (in the shortened season)," said Delaney. "This is spring we worked on finding consistency within the units, offensively and defensively, and what fits best for their style of play."
 
Leading the way for Rowan is a strong group of co-captains - seniors Julia Grlica, Dara Hennessy and Ashley Lechliter and junior Gianna Rusk - whose leadership has proven to be invaluable even before the first game was played.
 
"Honestly, I think they are the best group for this situation. I could not imagine, in all of my years, having a different group of captains to get us through this," said Delaney. "This group is so level-headed, with a 'whatever it takes' mentality, that it's transcended through the team. They're so committed to the core of the program which is trust, accountability presence and enthusiasm. Because they will hold you to a standard off the field, and not be afraid to do that, we've been able to hold onto a standard on the field. I really truly believe that this was the right group for this situation."
 
Lechliter topped the Profs in scoring last year with 10 goals in the five games, while junior midfielder Shannon Sterner had eight goals and an assist. Grlica posted five goals and two assists with junior attack Julianna Corson added a goal and six assists.
 
The returnees expected to be among Rowan's key contributors are sophomores Jamie Cutrera, Michaela Donnelly, Erin Scioli, Johanna Diehl and Abby Riehman, while junior Reilly Shaup will be in goal. Transfer Lauren Ferriola and freshman Hannah Lombardo will be among the Profs' newcomers to watch.
 
Rowan will again face a challenging schedule that includes three top 10 teams (Franklin & Marshall, Gettysburg and Salisbury) in the first six games, while taking on local teams Cabrini and Immaculata before heading into NJAC play.