College Field Hockey
Rider University 6, Appalachian State 0
BOONE, N.C.-6-0 win leads to 6-0 start. Led by a hat trick from sophomore Megan Pisani (Plainsboro/W. Windsor Plainsboro-North), the Rider University field hockey team won its sixth straight game, scoring a 6-0 win at Appalachian State Saturday afternoon.
"The score was not any indication of how hard Appalachian State played," said head coach Lori Hussong. "ASU is a really tough team. Our defensive effort is solid right now and everyone is playing with a lot of confidence. They are playing smart and are doing a good job of keeping the ball out of the opponent's offensive circle."
Senior goalie Lyndsie Johnson (Gibbsboro/Eastern) made two saves as she recorded her third shutout in the last four games, lowering her goals against average to 0.67.
"A lot of our success on defense has to do with our communication," said junior Lindsay Rajeski (New Egypt). "Lyndsie [Johnson] has been great vocally back in the goal and the constant communication has allowed us to play aggressively."
"ASU hung three-quarters up the field," said Hussong. "They were really hard to defend against because we really don't see that type of style in the Northeast. ASU was very good at reversing the ball and they were powerful moving the ball up the field. We did a good job making the defensive adjustments that we needed to."
"We are off to a great start," Rajeski added. "Being undefeated is an awesome feeling. We are focused on each game at hand and what we have to do."
Pisani's eighth goal of the season off a pass from freshman Jackie Adams (Medford Lakes/Shawnee) broke a scoreless tie nine minutes into the game.
"We started out a little bit sluggish," Hussong said. "After we got our first goal, we started playing our game."
Six minutes later, sophomore Virginia Egusquiza (Getxo, Spain) hit the back of the cage for the third game in a row (and fifth time this season), giving Rider a two-goal lead. Egusquiza, the reining Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year, now has 12 goals in her career.
Exactly seven minutes later, freshman Gabby Burgo (Collingswood) scored her first career goal and then assisted fellow rookie Marlaine Schneider (Feasterville, Pa./Neshaminy) six minutes before halftime as Rider held a 4-0 lead at intermission.
Seven minutes into the second half, Pisani recorded her ninth goal off an Adams assist with Pisani notching the hat trick and her team-leading 10th goal of the year four minutes later.
"It wasn't just Pisani," Hussong said. "It was a ton of kids out there and Megan was the beneficiary of some really nice play making. Every player is contributing."
For Pisani it was her second hat trick of the season after scoring three times at Temple on September 1.
Rider out-shot ASU 41-4 in the game including 22-0 in the second half and held a 10-2 penalty corner advantage.
"The defense is really clicking very well," said junior back Kristy Kelly who had two shots in the game while logging 70 minutes on defense. "The passing has been great and everyone is working to get the ball up the field. We're playing well together right now."
The Broncs are 4-0 all-time against the Mountaineers. Rider defeated ASU 3-2 last season at West Chester and 4-3 in overtime in 2007 in Farmville, Virginia. In 2004, the Broncs won 2-0 in Richmond.
Rider travels to Radford, Virginia to play the Highlanders (2-3) at 1:00pm on Sunday. The Broncs return home for a game against West Chester September 25.
"We just have to continue to play the way we are right now," Kelly said about the game on Sunday. "We can't be over confident but we have to play like we know we can win, playing and working together as a team."
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