LAWRENCEVILLE?Philadelphia wasn't the only place with a playoff type atmosphere this afternoon. Playing before a loud and enthusiastic cranberry clad crowd of 637, most of which were fellow student-athletes, the Rider University field hockey team opened the 2008 Northeast Conference schedule with a convincing 3-1 win on Friday afternoon.
The turnout was part of the Rider Athletics' initiative ?Code Cranberry' in which student-athletes (who aren't otherwise in class) attend the games of other sports to reinforce the notion of 20 sports but one Rider family.
Senior Diana Celebre (Lake Grove, N.Y./Sachem) had two goals and an assist with sophomore Allison Vogel (Oceanport/Shore Regional) adding a goal and an assist to lead the Broncs to the win.
“We know that every game from here on out is very important [all NEC games],” said Celebre. “We knew we had to work hard and win this game.”
“The crowd got everyone pumped up,” Vogel said. “It was just an extra thing to help us play our hardest.”
The Pioneers scored an unassisted goal 10 minutes into the game before the Broncs rebounded with Celebre scoring her fourth goal of the season 20 minutes into the game off a Vogel shot.
“We came out a little flat,” said head coach Lori Hussong. “We had some nerves and Sacred Heart was able to strike quickly. We picked up our game, especially in the second half and were much more intense. We gave them their goal and while I'm not happy that we were down, I know we have come back powers so I was confident we would get the job done.”
Sacred Heart almost took a 2-1 lead late in the first half when junior goalie Lyndsie Johnson (Gibbsboro/Eastern) was penalized for stopping the ball with the rounded end of her stick. The subsequent Pioneer penalty shot was stopped by Johnson and the teams went into intermission tied at one.
Vogel scored her second goal of the year, off a Celebre shot, three minutes into the second half to give Rider (7-5, 1-0 NEC) a 2-1 lead.
“With the conference games, it depends on who has the most heart and hustles the most,” said Vogel. “We had some players in new positions and our goal was to play as a team, no matter where we were on the field. When it was 1-1, it was a whole new game and on my goal, we had great passing and the ball came across and I was able to slam it in. It really was a team effort.”
Rider dominated play mid-way through the second half with Sacred Heart serving a five minute yellow card penalty but the Broncs were unable to score despite a 4-0 penalty corner advantage while up an extra player.
Celebre finally got Rider a two-gaol cushion, scoring her fifth goal of the season and 11th of her career, off a pass from freshman Virginia Egusquiza (Getxo, Spain) with 21 minutes remaining for the final score.
“Diana and the whole offensive attack is much peskier,” Hussong added. “Diana is trying to make her senior season her best ever and she is off to a great start. She has scored some key goals and has done a great job.”
Lyndsie Johnson made three saves for her seventh win of the season as the Broncs out-shot Sacred Heart (3-10, 1-1 NEC) 18-5. Rider held a 12-3 advantage in penalty corners including 9-1 in the second half.
The Broncs have won four straight.
Rider has won 13 of the 19 games against Sacred Heart all-time and twice defeated the Pioneers last season by 3-1 scores, including an NEC semi-final playoff win.
“Sacred Heart is a tough game every single season,” said Hussong. “We expect it and today we stepped up to the challenge.”
The Broncs travel to Quinnipiac for an NEC game on Sunday.
“We just have to continue to play as a team and give the effort that we did in the second half,” Celebre said. “If we do that, we have a good chance to win.”
“Conference play is about which team is ready to play on that given day and not necessarily the most skilled team,” said Hussong. “We tell the kids that it comes down to heart and Sunday will be a great game. Opening with Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac is one of the most challenging league openings that we have had because they are both perennial playoff contenders.”
An intense conference win on its home field showed the Rider faithful that the heart does indeed bleed cranberry on ?Code Cranberry' day.
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