LAWRENCEVILLE?Taking care of business (and working overtime).
Senior Caitlin Mebs (Cinnaminson) scored on the fifth penalty stroke and junior goalie Lyndsie Johnson (Gibbsboro/Eastern) made the final save in the best of five set as the Rider University field hockey team defeated La Salle in penalty strokes Friday afternoon. “Lyndsie is one of the best goalies that we've had in handling strokes,” said head coach Lori Hussong. “That is her forte. We practice our strokes everyday to prepare for a game like this.”
Johnson made five saves as Rider out-shot the Explorers 19-6.
“Strokes are definitely nerve rattling,” Johnson said. “You just have to stay confident and know that this is your job, you've practiced for it and you know what to do. It took some pressure off when Virginia scored because now you are ahead and at worst you end up tied on the next shot. You're not behind so that takes the edge off.”
“On my shot, I was looking top left,” said Mebs who will graduate in May with a Secondary Education/Spanish degree. “Lyndsie's play got me so pumped up and I just knew I had to put it in.”
On Rider's second stroke, freshman Virginia Egusquiza (Getxo, Spain/Extracto del Expediente Academy de) gave Rider its first score before the Explorers tied it on the fourth stroke.
In regulation, La Salle (5-7) broke a scoreless tie 27 minutes into the game on a penalty corner.
“I didn't think we played badly in the first half,” Hussong said. “We actually dominated play in the first half but La Salle to their credit capitalized on the one mistake that we made. In this game you only get so many chances to score and they (La Salle) took advantage of that.”
Rider (5-5) tied the game with 23 minutes left in the second half when sophomore Amanda Barretta (Roseland/West Essex) scored her second goal of the season, tipping in a pass from senior Diana Celebre (Lake Grove, N.Y./Sachem).
“I knew being down only 1-0 at halftime that we would have a chance to come back,” Hussong added. “We showed a lot of character fighting through the adversity to tie it and eventually win the game.”
“That's the way the season has been going,” Mebs said about the second half comeback. “We get down and then we fight back at the end. It shows how strong the team is.”
The teams played 30 minutes of scoreless overtime, setting up the penalty strokes.
The Broncs held a 6-4 penalty corner advantage.
Rider has won 19 of the 27 games (one tie) in the series against La Salle. The Explorers defeated the Broncs 2-1 in double overtime last season with Rider winning a pair of 1-0 games in 2006 and 2005.
The Broncs are now 2-1 in overtime this season and 4-4 in one-goal games.
Rider travels to Rhode Island to face Bryant College at noon on Sunday in the final non-conference game of the season.
“We would like to play our best on Sunday,” said Hussong. “It is our last tune up before conference play and we want to get everyone working together, doing the best job that they can.”
And if the job involves working overtime, the Broncs are ready to take care of business.
-RU-
