Corson, Rothwein Lead #17 Rowan Women’s Lacrosse past Lebanon Valley, 18-4, in Season Opener

Elaina Corson had four goals and three assists and Madison Rothwein scored four times, as the #17 Rowan women’s lacrosse team opened its season with an 18-4 win over Lebanon Valley.  

Corson, the senior All-American, added three assists, while Fiona Lockhart  and Alexis Lowry netted three goals each and Trish Gillen scored two. For Rothwein, it marked the first game as a Prof for the sophomore transfer. 

Corson scored three goals in the first quarter, and Lockhart chipped in with two, as the Profs staked a 9-0 lead. Rothwein, Jess Hoffmaster and Alexis Lowry each added goals in Rowan’s opening quarter of 2026. 

Rothwein kept the streak going with the first goal of the second quarter before LVC got on the board at 8:28, and the Prof added another. Corson and Yasmin Harris closed out the scoring to give Rowan a 13-1 halftime lead. 

Corson opened the scoring in the third quarter and the teams traded goals, with Lowry picking up the second of that period to give the Profs a commanding 15-3 advantage. 

LVC (1-2) netted the first goal of the fourth quarter before Gillen, Lowry and Rothwein tallied Rowan’s final goals of the evening. 

Rowan opens the home slate on Saturday when it hosts Muhlenberg at 1 p.m. on “Friends and Family Day”. 

Rowan Falls Short to #6 Montclair State, 89-75, in NJAC Men’s Basketball Semfinals

Khalil Baker scored 20 points but Rowan’s upset bid fell short as #6 Montclair State rallied from a 12-point deficit to defeat Rowan, 89-75, in the semifinals of the NJAC Men’s Basketball Championship. The season comes to an end for Rowan (10-17) while Montclair State moves on to face TCNJ in the title game on Saturday. 

Baker shot a season-best 8-for-13 from the field to record a new career-high. Taz Cantey had 18 points, six assists and five steals in his final game as a Prof with fellow senior Brycen Williams scoring 12 points and picking up four steals. Khamai Orange scored 14 points and posted a career-high six steals as Rowan forced the Red Hawks into 23 turnovers. 

With Rowan leading, 63-51, at 12:59 remaining, Montclair State went on a decisive 28-5 run that spanned nine minutes. The Red Hawks made 10-of-16 field goals, with five three-pointers and picked up seven steals to overtake the Profs. A three by Jacob Morales ended the run and the home team had a 79-68 lead with 3:21 remaining. Rowan could get no closer and saw MSU finish it out with six free throws in the final :44. 

The game saw each team hold double-digit leads early on. Montclair State jumped out first and went up on Rowan, 27-17, at 11:35 of the first half. The Profs outscored the Red Hawks, 19-8, with contributions from a number of players to take a 36-35 lead at 4:24. The teams would go into halftime tied at 42-42. 

Cantey got Rowan going in the second half as he scored four in an 8-0 run to give the Profs a 50-42 lead. Four straight from the senior, along with a basket from Williams, built Rowan’s lead up to its largest margin of the game, 63-51, but from there, Montclair State started its game-winning rally. 

Rowan shot well in the game, hitting over 50 percent in both halves, but Montclair State made 16 three-pointers to just five for the Profs. 

The fifth seed in the tournament, Rowan went 9-9 in league play and reached the semifinals for the first time since 2022-23 with a quarterfinal win over NJCU. 

Rowan’s Cantey, Baker and Williams Named to All-NJAC Men’s Basketball Team

Rowan’s Taz Cantey, Khalil Baker and Brycen Williams were named to the 2026 NJAC All-Conference Men’s Basketball Team, with Cantey earning selection to the Second Team and Baker and Williams both receiving Honorable Mention. This marks the first All-Conference honor for each of the Profs.

Cantey (Lindenwold, NJ/Eastern Regional) topped Rowan in scoring in conference games with an 18.2 average. The senior guard scored double figures in every NJAC game but one and posted 20-plus points on eight occasions. Cantey also averaged 3.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 48.5 percent from the field. In all games, he leads the Profs in scoring with a career-best 17.6 points per game. 

Baker (Hackensack, NJ/Hackensack) made an impact in his first year at Rowan, averaging 12.0 points and a team-best 8.1 rebounds in league play. The junior recorded six double-doubles in NJAC games, while hitting 49.2 percent of his field-goal attempts. Baker, who had a career-high 15 rebounds in a win at Kean, is averaging 12.0 rebounds and 7.5 points overall. 

Williams (Magnolia, DE)  led the Profs with 28 three-point field goals and free throw percentage of 82.8 in conference games to go along with his 15.5 scoring average. The senior guard scored double figures in 15 NJAC games with seven of them being 20 or more points. Overall, Williams is scoring a career-best 17.0 points per game and has hit a team-high 59 three-pointers. 

The trio helped Rowan (10-16) finish fifth in the NJAC with a 9-9 record. The Profs defeated NJCU on Saturday and have advanced to the semifinals of the NJAC Championship, where they will visit sixth-ranked Montclair State on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Rowan is seeking its first championship game appearance since 2022-23, when it won the NJAC title.

Rowan Names Casey Burford ’14 as Head Women’s Volleyball Coach

GLASSBORO, NJ – Rowan University welcomes back alumnus Casey Burford to become the Profs’ head women’s volleyball coach, it was announced by Director of Athletics Shawn Tucker. She becomes the ninth coach in the program’s history. 

Burford (nee Grasso) returns to her alma mater after serving as the head coach at Catholic University for the past two seasons and brings years of experience at the Division I and Division III levels as an assistant coach. 

“Casey is a Rowan Prof and to welcome her back in this leadership capacity signifies a great day for Rowan University Volleyball! Casey stood out during the screening process and carried the right leadership demeanor, student-centric philosophy and volleyball aptitude to give our committee confidence that she will shepherd our young women and future Profs to even greater heights,” said Tucker. “Coach Deana (Jespersen) instituted a strong culture of family and togetherness, and I’m confident that Coach Casey will build upon that similar philosophy to lead our program to success on and off the court.”

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Williams Scores 27 as Rowan Defeats NJCU, 73-61, to Advance to the NJAC Men’s Basketball Semifinals

Brycen Williams scored a game-high 27 points to lead fifth-seeded Rowan to a 73-61 win over fourth-seeded NJCU in the quarterfinals of the NJAC Men’s Basketball Championship. The Profs advance to the semifinals where they will travel to top-ranked Montclair State on Wednesday, February 25th at 7 p.m.

Tickets for the semifinal will go on sale at noon on Sunday at NJACsports.com/tickets. Electronic tickets only will be accepted – there will be no cash sales at the venue. 
 

Williams hit four three-pointers to lead the way while Taz Cantey scored 19 points and handed out six assists. Khalil Baker had nine points, as he shot 4-for-4, and eight rebounds.

The Profs hit eight threes in the game, shooting 42 percent, made 48 percent (11-of-23) from the field and went 19-for-32 from the foul line. Rowan limited NJCU (14-12) to just 1-of-10 from three-point range in the second half.

The teams were tied, 35-35, early in the second half. Rowan started to break away at the 13-minute mark as Williams scored nine points in a 13-1 run that gave the Profs a 60-46 lead with 6:14 remaining. NJCU got within 63-51, but that was the closest the home team would get the rest of the way, as a dunk by Khamai Orange with 3:57 to play expanded Rowan’s lead back up to 65-51.

Rowan made six free throws in the final three minutes to secure the victory.

Rowan led  22-11 in the first half, after a three-pointer by Cantey at 8:49 and then stretched it to 29-13 at 6:40 after seven consecutive points, with five from Williams. NJCU went on a 10-0 run to close within 29-23 with 3:12 remaining and the teams entered intermission with the Profs owning a 34-29 advantage.

The winner of Wednesday’s game will head to the NJAC Championship game on Saturday, February 28th at the site of the highest remaining seeded team.

U.S. Men’s Hockey Team Wins Gold

Players of Team United States pose for photographs during the medal ceremony following the Men's Gold Medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Johnny Gaudreau’s daughter Noa and son Johnny Jr. pose with Team USA after Olympic gold.Credit : Gregory Shamus/Getty

(Milan, Italy)(February 22, 2026)(Cleary’s NoteBook News)-The U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey Team paid a heartfelt tribute to the late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau on Sunday after securing the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. In an emotional moment on the ice, players brought Gaudreau’s children—his daughter Noa and son Johnny Jr.—into the team’s post‑game celebration.

Gaudreau, who had been on track to make the 2026 Olympic roster, died in August 2024. His wife, Meredith, and his parents, Jane and Guy, attended the championship game and watched as the team honored his legacy.

Following Team USA’s dramatic victory over rival Canada, players carried Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey onto the ice. Forward Dylan Larkin and defenseman Zach Werenski then brought Noa, 3, and Johnny Jr., 2, into the center of the celebration as the team posed for photos with their gold medals.

Larkin stood beside Johnny Jr.—who celebrated his second birthday on Sunday—while holding Gaudreau’s jersey aloft. Werenski held a smiling Noa as the crowd cheered.

Meredith Gaudreau accompanied the children to the game, joined by Gaudreau’s parents. Guy Gaudreau was visibly emotional after Jack Hughes scored the overtime game‑winner that clinched the gold for Team USA. The tribute served as a powerful reminder of Gaudreau’s impact on American hockey and the bond he shared with many of the players who took the ice in Milan.

USA Hockey Honors Gaudreau brothers

Commissioners, Camden Mayor to Present Trophies at Camden County Basketball Tournament Championship

UPDATED TIME AND LOCATION

Today: February 22

Girls Championship Game: 11 a.m.

Boys Championship Game: 12:30 p.m.

Location:        Paul VI High School, 901 Hopkins Rd, Haddonfield, NJ 08033

Attendees:      Commissioner Al Dyer, Commissioner Jonathan Young, Commissioner Colleen Bianco Bezich, Mayor Victor Carstarphen.

The Camden County Basketball Tournament will wrap up on February 22, at Paul VI High School with a girls-boys championship doubleheader at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Following the game, the Board of Commissioners and Camden City Mayor Victor Carstarphen will present a trophy to the tournament champions.

“This has been a wonderful tournament, and it has been so amazing what these talented athletes from throughout Camden County are capable of,” Commissioner Al Dyer said. “We are looking forward to the big game to see who will take home the championship here in Camden County.”

USA Hockey Honors Gaudreau Brothers

Johnny Gaudreau’s daughter Noa and son Johnny Jr. pose with Team USA after Olympic gold.

Credit : Gregory Shamus/Getty

(MILAN, ITALY)(Cleary’s NoteBook News)(February 22, 2026)–USA Hockey is honoring the memory of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau at the Olympics in Milan this weekend. According to the Associated Press, the U.S. is paying tribute to the brothers in their locker room at the Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena. A blue No. 13 Gaudreau jersey hangs there as a reminder of the player known as “Johnny Hockey,” who was beloved by so many on the national team and beyond.

Image courtesy of 6ABC Action News

Johnny Gaudreau (31) and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau (29), died on August 29, 2024, after being struck from behind by a suspected drunk driver while riding bikes in Oldmans Township, New Jersey. They were killed on the eve of their sister’s wedding.

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Rowan Falls to Stockton in NJAC Men’s Basketball Finale, 90-70

GLASSBORO, NJ – Taz Cantey scored 22 points but Rowan fell to Stockton, 90-70 in the final regular season game for both NJAC men’s basketball teams. Rowan (9-16; 9-9) earns the fifth seed in the NJAC Championship and will travel to fourth-seeded NJCU for a quarterfinal matchup on Saturday, with tip-off at noon.

Electronic ticketing will be utilized and tickets for the quarterfinals will go on sale on Thursday, February 19 at noon. Tickets are $11 for adults and $6 for seniors, students and children, and can be purchased at: njacsports.com/tickets.

Cantey notched his 10th 20-plus point game of the year and fifth in the last six games. C.J. Hayes was the only other Prof in double figures with 15 points.

Stockton (15-10; 12-6) jumped out 10-2 at the start but Cantey scored nine consecutive points to give Rowan its first lead of the game, 11-10. Rowan had a 21-17 lead at 10:36 after a jumper by Ife Okebiorun and maintained the lead until Stockton forced a 31-31 tie. The teams traded leads the rest of the half until Stockton gained a 44-41 lead at halftime.

Stockton built on its first-half advantage in the second, outscoring Rowan 10-3 in the first four minutes to build up a 10-point margin, 54-44. The Ospreys expanded it to 65-48 with 13 minutes to play and took a 20-point lead, 82-62, with over four minutes remaining.

The Profs struggled from three-point range, making five, while Stockton capitalized by hitting 15 three-pointers.

Top-ranked Montclair State and TCNJ, which handed the Red Hawks their first loss of the year, earned the league’s top two seeds. Stockton is seeded third and will face sixth-seeded Kean in the other quarterfinal on Saturday.

Rowan’s Penny Kempf Announces Retirement after 30-Plus Years of Service

After more than 30 years of dedicated service to Rowan Athletics, first as a national championship-winning coach, and then as an administrator, associate athletic director Penny Kempf has announced her retirement from the University.

Kempf has been a trusted leader and mentor for countless student-athletes, coaches and colleagues and an instrumental figure in the growth and success of Rowan athletics, and especially the women’s athletics program.

After retiring from coaching, Kempf served as Rowan’s associate athletic director and senior women’s administrator and has been a steady presence in the department providing leadership, institutional knowledge and a commitment to Prof athletics.

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