Lock Haven University 3, Rider University 0
Northeast Conference Championship Game
Johnson, Egusquiza, Ecke All-Tournament Honors
LOCK HAVEN, Pa.?The Rider University field hockey team lost the Northeast Conference championship game to defending league champion Lock Haven on Saturday. “We did the best job that we could,” said head coach Lori Hussong. “Lock Haven is just incredible.”
For Rider (13-7), freshman Virginia Egusquiza (Getxo, Spain) had three of Rider's five shots.
The Lady Eagles scored 10 minutes into the game and never looked back, increasing the lead to 2-0 11 minutes before halftime. Lock Haven scored with 15 minutes left for the final score.
“Lock Haven has three international players and they just took over the game today,” Hussong added. “I'm not saying we didn't get our chances but getting down early really took us out of our style of play. To our credit, we didn't quit and in the second half, we had the better part of the play. We just couldn't finish the job.”
Lock Haven (19-3), out-shot the Broncs 12-5 and held a 9-2 penalty corner advantage.
Junior goalie Lyndsie Johnson (Gibbsboro/Eastern) made two saves and was named to the NEC All-Tournament team.
Egusquiza, the NEC Rookie of the Year, and sophomore Margaret Ecke (New Egypt) were also named to the all-tournament team.
This is the eighth time in the last nine seasons that Rider has advanced to the NEC Finals. The Broncs won the NEC championship in 2000, 2002 and 2004.
Rider took Lock Haven to overtime during the regular season before falling 1-0. The Lady Eagles have won seven of the eight games all-time against Rider.
Lock Haven defeated Rider in the 2007 NEC championship game and eliminated the Broncs in the semifinals in 2006.
“The six seniors really stepped up and held the team together,” Hussong said. “I am proud of their career being part of four playoff seasons. Our goal was to get back to this game and we accomplished that.”
The Lady Eagles have won nine straight games and have won 24 straight over NEC opponents. Lock Haven awaits the winner of the Patriot League tournament for the NCAA Play-In game on November 11.
“We came in and gave our all,” said senior Mandy Hunter, a veteran of 59 games. “We lost to an extremely talented team but we can walk off the field with our heads held high.”
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