Candance Rossi notched her 100th career point on Saturday during a 15-8 win over Stony Brook. Rossi, a junior, went to Farmingdale high school on Long Island, less than 30 miles from Stony Brook.
Rossi had plenty of support in the stands from her family and friends as she scored two goals and added three assists.
During the game, Hopkins scored first with an assist from Rossi to Rachel Ballatori. Stony Brook answered back within three minutes. The remainder of the first half was back and forth until it ended all knotted up at four.
Rossi fed fellow junior Colleen McCaffrey early in the second half to put Hopkins up by two goals. Less than five minutes later Rossi found Ballatori again to extend the Jay lead to five.
Rossi nabbed her first goal of the game with just over ten minutes remaining on a free position shot. Then McCaffrey returned the favor and assisted Rossi on the 14th Hopkins goal of the afternoon.
Rossi put only four shots on goal against Stony Brook — half of which found the back of the net. Her third assist was a game high and only fellow attacker McCaffrey had more points (six).
In the classroom Rossi is a global environment change and sustainability major.
“I know, it’s a mouthful,” she said. Rossi has a burning desire to make the world a better place even if she doesn’t know exactly how she’ll make that happen.
“I have new ideas every week,” Rossi said about what she plans to do this summer or after graduation.
For now, though, Rossi is just enjoying college life. She lives in a brownstone with five of her fellow upperclassman teammates, which she says is a blast. She’s also as laid back, relaxed and chill as they come.
“I don’t really get stressed out; I like to just go with it,” she said.
It’s this easy-going attitude that has the Jays’s team chemistry and morale at an all time high so far this season.
“Everyone just follows her lead,” fellow goal-scorer Colleen McCaffrey said. “Candace makes practice more fun for everyone. And off the field she keeps it loose. She is always going with the flow, making it easier for everyone.”
The off-field camaraderie certainly translates to success on the field. Rossi noted that more than ever the team is playing as a unit.
Despite her carefree attitude off the field, Rossi has a reputation as being one of the feistiest, most aggressive athletes with a lacrosse stick.
“Candace is really aggressive, both defensively and offensively,” sophomore Courtney Schweizer praised.
Schweizer pointed out that Rossi has an impressive repertoire of powerful dodges and aggressive moves that drive the low attacker to the cage. On the field Rossi isn’t afraid of anyone, always ready to return a stiff check or snatch a clutch interception, because Candace Rossi is a competitor.
Only 11 other Lady Jays have scored 100 points in their Division I careers. In the first four games of the season, Rossi has totaled 15 points on ten goals and five assists in large part due to her extremely efficient shooting percentage of .500. She is the first junior to reach the 100-point milestone since 2006.
Next to reach 100 career points is McCaffrey, who leads the team this season with 16 points. McCaffrey has 90 career points and will certainly join Rossi in the record books shortly. The two juniors make a great goal-scoring tandem.
Rossi admits McCaffrey is one of her top scoring partners on the field. The two have played together for three years.
“We just know each other so well, and that comes from playing together a lot,” Rossi said.
Both Rossi and McCaffrey were All-Americans in high school and have played together on the front line of every game in their two plus years as Jays.
“Candace knows how to score and makes it look easy,” McCaffrey said. “Candace and I have been playing together for three years and now we are always looking for each other. I can almost sense where she will be on the field,” McCaffrey said.
With plenty of help from McCaffrey, Rossi is leading the Jays to a winning season. The win over Stony Brook gave Hopkins a 3-1 record on the season.
Rossi has a very deep understanding for the game and recognizes how quickly the team is improving. “We’ve learned a lot already.” Rossi went on to explain that the second half has been the deciding factor in their first four games.
“We froze up in the second half against Princeton, but the second half against Stony Brook was a different story.”
Wednesday was more of the same for Rossi and her teammates when they set out to beat cross-town rival Towson.
“I don’t like to lose to Towson,” Rossi said, who aimed to avenge last season’s loss to the Tigers.
The Jays dominated the game, winning 10-1 on the back of Rossi’s two assists and McCaffrey’s three goals.
Now 4-1, Rossi and the Jays hope to keep up the good work against Georgetown next week.
