GLASSBORO, NJ – Second-seeded TCNJ and top-seeded Rowan played 110 minutes of scoreless soccer on Saturday night. TCNJ then converted all four of its shootout attempts to win 4-1 and claim the 2026 NJAC Women’s Soccer Championship in front of 660 fans at the Rowan Soccer/Lacrosse Complex.
 
The title gives the Lions the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, while Rowan will await its opponent as an at-large selection when the NCAA reveals the bracket during its selection show on Monday, Nov. 9. This marks the third time in four years that the trophy heads to Ewing.
 
The final matched two of the nation’s top programs, with Rowan entering at No. 2 nationally and TCNJ at No. 6, and it played out as evenly as those rankings suggested. Rowan held slight edges of 13-12 in shots, 6-5 in shots on goal and 8-4 in corner kicks. Neither defense allowed a goal through regulation and two overtime periods.
 
TCNJ had the better of the first half, outshooting Rowan 8-3 as Emily Weidner, who finished with a game-high six shots, kept pressure on the Profs’ back line. Rowan goalkeeper Enya Carthy kept the game level at the break with saves on Alyssa Alfano, Jenny Ward and Lexi Caruso.
 
The momentum swung after halftime. Rowan outshot TCNJ 7-1 in the second half and earned five corner kicks, but Lions goalkeeper Ellen Williams came up with key stops on Cali Sloan in the 64th minute and Gabby Rabinowitz in the 84th to keep it scoreless.
 
The overtime periods brought more of the same. Williams turned away a Bella Moore attempt early in the first extra session, and Carthy answered by denying Hayden Tormasi just before the period ended. Williams made one more save in the second overtime when she stopped Riley Fortna in the 102nd minute, which sent the championship to penalty kicks.
 
In the shootout, Alfano, Maggie Murphy, Caruso and Ava Visaggio all scored for TCNJ, while Sara Wiedeman provided Rowan’s only goal of the tiebreaker.
 
Williams played all 110 minutes in goal and made six saves for the Lions. Carthy also went the distance for Rowan and finished with five saves, and Moore paced the Profs’ attack with four shots, two of them on goal.