Women's College Soccer
Rider University 1, Loyola University 0
LAWRENCEVILLE-The Rider women's soccer team made the playoffs with its first-ever Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory over Loyola Saturday. "We've never beaten them before so this is brilliant," said Rider head coach Drayson Hounsome.
Rider finished in a three-way tie for fourth place and qualified for the four-team championship tournament because of havnig the tie-breaker with tournament host Loyola and Niagara. Canisius is the top seed and will play Rider at 3pm Friday. Marist is the second seed and will play Siena at 6pm. The Championship Game is Sunday.
Sophomore Claire Thompson (East Greenwich, R.I./E. Greenwich) scored the only goal of the game with 5:27 remaining.
Sophomore Meghan Mohr (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem) served a long pass into the goal area and sophomore Abi Cottam (Leominster, England/Ludlow) headed it to Thompson for a five-yard finish.
"I saw Meg prepare to make that cross, something we've been practicing," said Thompson, who now has five career goals. "She is usually pretty accurate with her crosses. She put in a perfect ball and Abi did all of the work and deserves all of the credit. Abi did a great job, got a touch on it and I was just there to make sure it made it to the back of the net."
"That was a really rewarding goal," Hounsome said. "We worked on delivering that ball for about 40 minutes in practice and Meg delivered a great ball in on the cross, Abi got in front of the defender and Claire finished it off. To see what you practice happen in a game and it being the winning goal with five minutes to go is awesome."
Rider senior goalkeeper Alex Post (Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks West), who was honored before the game as part of Senior Day, made 10 saves for her sixth shutout of the season, tying the Rider single-season record.
"It was superb for the seniors on Senior Day," Hounsome said, "and it was superb for the program to beat such a quality team as Loyola. It is a credit to our players and to how hard they have worked this season."
It was the 12th career shutout for Post, one shy of the Bronc record. "That is fantastic for Alex," Hounsome said, "and fantastic for the defense to see where we've come this season. Alex made the saves she needed to make and that allows everyone else to play their game. That's what you want from your keeper. Just a fantastic way for them to end their home careers."
Loyola (9-9-2, 5-4 MAAC) out-shot Rider (9-7-2, 5-4 MAAC) 19-10 and had four corner kicks to Rider's two.
Rider lost 2-0 at Loyola last year. Rider tied Loyola in 2008 and in the 2001 MAAC semifinals (lost on PKs). Loyola won the other 16 meetings. "They went to the NCAA tournament last year," Hounsome said of the Greyhounds. "They have been the power in the MAAC. That is what we want. We want to be the power in the MAAC. Today was a step forward in the right direction."
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