Women's College Soccer
Manhattan College 1, Rider University 0
LAWRENCEVILLE--Ten years. In ten years of varsity competition, the Rider University women's soccer team has grown, advancing to post-season play five of the last six years, and many soccer alums returned Sunday to celebrate a decade of success. “Since its inception the program has gone far and will continue to go far,” said Rider head coach Kevin Long.
The Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game to Manhattan Sunday. “It would have been nice to get the returning former players a win today because they certainly had a big hand in building the program to what it is today,” Long said.
Manhattan (4-3-4, 1-0-1 MAAC) scored in the 72nd minute of play as Christine Reina took a crossing pass from Caroline Morse and scored from just 10 yards out. “We had a mental lapse in the back and that was the result of this game,” Long said. “We gave them an opportunity in the back that was a high percentage opportunity for a goal. When you do that a good team will make you pay.”
Manhattan made Rider pay.
“It is unfortunate that we couldn't do better today with our alums coming back,” Long said. “The loss doesn't tarnish the fact that over the last ten years the growth in this program has been tremendous. I've been lucky enough to be here for almost half of that time so I know a lot of them and it's great to have them back on campus.”
Two dozen former players returned, many of the names that are written in the Rider record books. “We had a good showing at the game and even more at the post-game reception,” Long said. “I was pleased to see our president (Dr. Mordechai Rozanski) here today as well.”
Rider (4-4-3, 1-1 MAAC) was out-shot 12-7 after out-shooting Saint Peter's 29-5 on Friday in a 5-0 win. “We didn't play as well today as we did on Friday, and we also faced a tougher team today, so that is a bad combination,” Long said. “We're at that time of year where we have to play hard Friday and Sunday. Each weekend you have to bring your best game, and if you don't, if you are just a step slow, these teams will make you pay.”
Freshman goalkeeper Alex Post (Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks West) made six saves for the Broncs, while Alica DeFino made two saves for the Jaspers.
Rider and Manhattan tied 2-2 in the season finale last year in New York and tied 0-0 at Rider in 2005. “Maybe it was heading that way (tie) again, but with a little bit of a lapse in the back it didn't happen,” Long said.
Rider is now 3-6-3 against the Jaspers since the series began in 1997.
“I think we're playing well, we just made terrible decisions at terrible times today,” Long said. “I think Tuesday we'll bring it.”
Rider travels to Delaware State Tuesday evening for the final non-conference game of the season. “Delaware State is going to come at us,” Long said. “It was a closer game than what we would have liked last year (3-0 Rider win). It is our last non-conference game of the season and if we win we'll finish the non-conference portion of the schedule with a winning record. That was one of our goals so we definitely have incentive for Tuesday's match.”
A winning record in the non-conference portion of the schedule. That will make the Rider soccer alums proud.
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