College Field Hockey
Rider University 1, Saint Francis (Pa.) 0 (ot)
Northeast Conference Game
LORETTO, Pa.--The Rider record setter in assists can score a little as well.
Sophomore Virginia Egusquiza (Getxo, Spain) scored the game-winning goal, 9:49 into overtime as the Rider University field hockey team won at Saint Francis (Pa.) on Sunday to remain undefeated in Northeast Conference play. "We fought hard and kept with it," said head coach Lori Hussong. "It wasn't our best effort but we battled and found a way to get the job done."
Egusquiza, who set the Rider individual single season record with her team-leading 14th assist against Robert Morris in a 4-0 win on Friday, now has nine goals and 32 points on the season.
"(Freshman) Marlaine Schneider (Feasterville, Pa./Neshaminy) stole the ball at the 25 and ran it back up the field and passed it to Virginia," Hussong remembered.
Egusquiza, the NEC Rookie of the Year last season, took that pass at the top of the circle and scored her fourth game-winner of the year. Schneider, who is second on the team in assists, is a four-time NEC Rookie of the Week honoree this season.
"Marlaine dribbled the ball through everyone from the half field to the 25," Egusquiza said. "She passed it to me from the right and I was able to put it in the goal. I finished the play but all of my teammates put in the hard work to make the play happen."
Senior goalie Lyndsie Johnson (Gibbsboro/Eastern) recorded her ninth shutout of the season to set a new Rider individual season record. The old mark was eight, set by Jen Cushinotto in 2000.
"It was an intense game," Johnson said. "The defense was really tested. We didn't expect Saint Francis to come out as hard as they did. They wanted to win as much as we did. We worked hard and used our team chemistry on defense to pull out the win. It just took a little longer than usual to get the job done."
As a team, this is Rider's 10th shutout, besting the nine shutouts by the 2004 NEC champion squad.
"The records are definitely a team effort," Johnson said. "It is an amazing feeling to set these records with the kind of history that the program has. For myself, I give the credit to Krysta Bearish '05 who was the goalie before me. She taught me all of the things to do to be successful."
The pupil may turn out to be as good or better than the teacher. Bearish had a career mark of 32-8 with 18 of the wins coming during the 2004 season. Johnson is currently 28-8 in her Rider career with a 0.92 goals against average.
"Our defense has been really keeping us in games," Hussong said. "We let the ball get into our circle more than usual but (junior) Lindsay Rajeski (New Egypt) was clutch for us today as was (senior) Kelly Crist (Belford/Middletown North) and (junior) Margaret Ecke (New Egypt). They all played outstanding. In the overtime, Rajeski's initial steal set up the first corner that led to Marlaine's play to Virginia right after."
"We didn't play our best in the first half but pulled it together in the second half," Rajeski said. "We communicated more as the game went on and started playing our style of field hockey. We fought hard the whole overtime and kept at it until we scored."
Rider (15-1) held an 18-5 penalty corner advantage and out-shot the Red Flash 11-1 including 3-0 in the overtime.
The Broncs defeated Saint Francis (Pa.) 5-0 last season and 1-0 in 2007, both in Lawrenceville and are now 11-0 all-time against the Red Flash. In two career games, Johnson has not allowed a goal against Saint Francis.
The Broncs improve to 6-0 in the NEC with the win, clinching their 10th straight NEC playoff berth. "Every team fights very hard when they play us," Rajeski added. "A lot of teams dig down against us and we are a big target to go after because we've been successful. Teams are out to beat us and bring it hard when they play against us."
"The playoffs are a totally different atmosphere and today felt like a playoff game," Johnson said. "We just have to stick to how Rider field hockey plays and I know we will be successful."
Rider hosts Siena in an NEC game on Friday at 4:00pm before closing out the regular season against defending conference champion Lock Haven on Sunday at noon. "The key is to focus on the Siena game Friday," Hussong said. "I think we took today's game a little lightly and to their credit (Saint Francis), they saw that and took it to us a little bit. I think we learned not to come into a game over confident because we could have lost the game."
Lock Haven improved to 7-0 in the NEC with a 5-1 win at Monmouth on Sunday. The Lady Eagles come to Rider riding a 13-game winning streak. Siena defeated Sacred Heart 2-1 in overtime on Sunday and at 2-4 in the NEC, still have an outside chance to catch Monmouth or Quinnipiac for the final playoffs spot.
"It's great to be finishing at home," Johnson said. "To have the love and support of our family and fans keeps us going. To see your classmates and the other Rider teams on the sidelines cheering for you, it will definitely give us a boost in the final two games."
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