Women's College Soccer
University of Pennsylvania 2, Rider University 0
LAWRENCEVILLE--Although Rider lost the game, a major victory occurred in the very beginning of the contest. Senior Michele Ripoll (Point Pleasant) made her first start of the season after major knee injuries ended both her 2005 and 2006 seasons in the season openers. “I found out I was starting in the huddle right before the game,” said Ripoll.
“Rip” played in 17 games as a Rider rookie, starting one, after earning All-County and All-Conference honors as the Point Pleasant Boro High School team MVP. As a Rider sophomore she tore her ACL in the season opener and was lost for the year. In 2006 it was d?j? vu all over again, as Rip again went down in the season opener with a season-ending knee injury. This year she has played in seven contests, making her first start Sunday.
“The last two years (not playing) have been horrible,” Ripoll remembered. “After the first one (injury) I felt I could come back. The second one sort of killed me mentally, but there was never a doubt that I would be coming back. The doctors told me there was (a doubt) but I said no.”
“It was a good start for her,” said Rider head coach Kevin Long, “first time in a while. That part was pretty exciting. She's been playing well for us. She has gotten better each game she's been healthy for us. Rip did a fine job.”
“I was extremely nervous, but everyone was talking me through it, so it wasn't that bad,” said Ripoll, a two-time MAAC All-Academic team member. “Starting today meant everything. I was excited. I really didn't think it was going to happen this year. I'm an old, injured player. My teammates call me Roger Clemens.”
“Rip is multi-dimensional,” Long said. “She can play a possession-oriented game and can also play pretty direct as needed.”
The Broncs fell back down to .500 (3-3-3) with the loss to Penn. Penn (6-2-1) scored the only goal it would need in the 29th minute of play and added an insurance goal on a direct kick with 22 minutes left to play.
“Penn is a very good team, a premier team in the Ivy League,” Long said. “We played well, much better than some games we had this year.”
Rider was out-shot 13-3. “We adjusted well to their fast pace, but we went back to the scenario where we possessed more but we had a tough time with our final pass and developing anything in the final third of the field,” Long said. “We couldn't solve them in the middle of the field. That is where they hurt us.”
Rider freshman Alex Post (Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks West) made four saves.
This was the third meeting between Rider and Penn, with the Quakers winning all three. “I think we played well today against a very good team,” Ripoll said. “We have some things to work on but overall, collectively I thought we played well as a team.”
The Broncs host Saint Peter's College Friday in the first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game of the season. “We now start MAAC play so it is a brand new season starting Friday,” Long said. “The first half of the season was not unsuccessful. We are more prepared for MAAC play than we were the last three years. So that part's good. Saint Peter's is a good team. A strong opponent. Hopefully the second half of the season we'll be able to attack more than we've been able to in the first half.”
“No one likes a loss so we're going to pick it back up for Friday,” Ripoll said.
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