Women's College Soccer
Niagara University 3, Rider University 0
LAWRENCEVILLE?The Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to Niagara Sunday. “Playing a third game in five days is always going to be a challenge,” said Rider head coach Drayson Hounsome.
Niagara (12-5-1, 5-3 MAAC) took a 1-0 lead in the 31st minute of play for the only goal it would need. “We played a good team and we didn't come with our best game,” Hounsome said. “Niagara has strong players.”
Niagara, who has now won four of its last five games, made it 2-0 with 18 minutes left in the second half, and scored a third time five minutes later. “They scored a great goal on the second goal and that deflated us a little bit,” Hounsome said.
Niagara out-shot Rider (2-12-3, 1-5-1 MAAC) 17-12, but the Broncs held a 10-7 advantage in shots in the second half. “We had chances today,” Hounsome said.
Rider sophomore goalkeeper Alex Post (Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks West) made five saves. Post entered the game ranked eighth in the nation with 7.64 saves per game.
This was the 12th meeting between Rider and Niagara with the Purple Eagles holding an 8-4 advantage in the series that began in 1997. Rider last defeated Niagara in 2004. The Purple Eagles won 2-1 last season.
Rider completes the regular season on the road against Siena October 31 and Marist November 2. “We have to play well in these two games,” Hounsome said. “We have to have our ?A' game to be successful. We can do okay. On paper they may be stronger than us but if we play our best performance we'll see what happens.”
The game was Rider's final home game of the season and the final home game in the careers of graduating seniors Kayla Devlin (Clifton, N.J./Clifton), Amanda Scully (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield), Michelle Matricardi (Abington, Pa./Abington), Erin Mahar (Barnegat, N.J./Colonia) and Lauren Mahar (Barnegat, N.J./Colonia).
“It was disappointing today, it was tough for the seniors, but there are brighter times ahead,” Hounsome said. “It was a shame we couldn't get a win for the seniors today.”
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