College Field Hockey
Rider University 2, Georgetown University 1 (ot)
COLLEGE PARK, MD?Freshman Virginia Egusquiza (Getxo, Spain) scored an unassisted goal 5:07 into overtime to lead Rider to a 2-1 victory over Georgetown at the University of Maryland Tuesday. “It was a tough game,” said Rider head coach Lori Hussong. “The longer the game went the harder Georgetown played.”
Rider (4-5) took a 1-0 lead with less than five minutes left in the first half when senior Diana Celebre (Lake Grove, NY/Sachem) shot on goal and sophomore Amanda Barretta (Roseland/West Essex) followed up on the rebound to score her first goal of the season and the fourth of her career.
“We played pretty well the first 20 minutes of the game,” Hussong said.
Georgetown (0-10) tied the score with 11 minutes left in the second half. “Playing against a team that hadn't won yet all season, they have nothing to lose,” Hussong said. “They were playing twice as tenacious as they normally would, going after that first win. The longer they were able to stay in the game the more confident they became.”
Egusquiza, who came to Rider from Spain, stole the ball about 30 yards out, beat three defenders and scored her first collegiate goal. “I am really happy I came to Rider,” Egusquiza said in her Castilian Spanish accent. “Now I don't want to go back home.”
Egusquiza was a member of the Spanish National 18-under team (2007, 2008) and the Spanish National 16-under team (2004, 2005, 2006) and was recruited by many colleges, including Syracuse, but is happy she chose Rider. “I took many exams in the summer and finally, in July, I found out I was coming to Rider and I started to cry,” Egusquiza remembered. “I am really happy I came to Rider.”
“She stole the ball, dribbled past three or four kids and shot a reverse chip shot into the cage,” Hussong said.
“I was on the right side of the field,” Egusquiza said. “I had the ball, went past one person into the circle and I shot a reverse and it was a goal. I was so excited because I never scored for us. I couldn't believe it went in. And then we won and everyone jumped into me.”
Rider out-shot Georgetown 10-3, including 7-1 in the first half and 1-0 in overtime.
Rider and Georgetown have met eight times, with Rider winning the first meeting in 1995 and the Hoyas winning the next six, including the last meeting in 2003. “Anytime you beat a BIG EAST team it's nice,” Hussong said.
Junior Lyndsie Johnson (Gibbsboro/Eastern) made two saves. Johnson ranks ninth in the nation in save percentage, 13th in saves per game. “Lyndsie played pretty well,” Hussong said. “She made some key saves.”
The Broncs had their three-game winning streak snapped with a pair of one goal losses before defeating Georgetown. “I'm just happy to get back on the winning track,” Hussong said. “We've been down the last two games and that's hard to come back from.”
“We've had some tough games but I think we are a very good team,” Egusquiza said. “We can do well and win a championship.”
Rider hosts La Salle Friday at 4pm.
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