Men's College Soccer

Rider University 2, Marist College 0

Broncs in MAAC Playoffs

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY—The Broncs defeated Marist in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game Saturday in Rider's regular season finale. With the win Rider (9-6-2, 6-4 MAAC) clinches a berth in the six-team MAAC Championship Tournament.

The Broncs will now wait until Wednesday evening, the conclusion of the MAAC regular season, to find out where they finish in the MAAC standings. Rider is currently in second place.

If Iona (vs.11 Manhattan) AND Fairfield (vs. #1 Quinnipiac) lose or draw, Rider is the #2 seed.  If either Iona OR Fairfield wins, Rider is the #3 seed.  If Iona AND Fairfield win, Rider is the #4 seed.

“In the first half we were against a strong wind and couldn't get anything going,” said Rider head coach Charlie Inverso.  “The second half we came out like gangbusters.”

Rider senior Ryan Walsh (Chesterfield, NJ/Northern Burlington Regional) stole the ball deep in the Marist end and scored just 23 seconds into the second half to give the Broncs a 1-0 lead. “Walsh broke up a play and just tucked it in,” Inverso said of his team's only four-year senior.  “It couldn't have been more fitting. Walsh works as hard as anybody I've ever coached. He's been through some tough times here.”

It marks the first time since 2004 that Rider qualified for a playoff berth in a year where the playoffs did not involve every team in the conference.

The nine wins is the most for Rider since the 2000 team finished 10-10 overall.

Rider junior Justin Veltri (Mays Landing, NJ/Oakcrest) took a pass from freshman Jose Aguinaga (Madrid, Spain) and scored with just 1:20 left to play.

Marist (7-6-4, 3-4-2 MAAC) out-shot Rider 15-13, but Rider had eight shots on goal compared to just two by Marist.

Rider sophomore goalkeeper David Pastuna (Robbinsville, NJ) made two saves for his third shutout of the season. “Dave did fine,” Inverso said.  “Sonimi (junior Sonimi Halliday of Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek) and Warren (sophomore Warren Holmes of Stoke on Trent, England) were outstanding, as was the entire back line. Dave didn't have much action but what he had to handle he was good at.”

In the first round of the MAAC Tournament, the third and fourth place teams will host the fifth and sixth place teams Saturday, November 8. Those two winners, along with the second place team, will compete in the semifinals at the site of the first place team November 14. The MAAC Title Game is November 16, also at the site of the first place team.

“It is looking like we will host a game next week,” Inverso said. “Right now we're just going to sit back and enjoy it.”

The Broncs defeated Marist 3-1 last year at Rider.  These former Northeast Conference rivals have now met 23 times since the series began in 1992 with Rider leading the series 12-10-1.

The Broncs head into the playoffs having now won five of their last six games. “We have to wait until Wednesday to find out where we finish but we're going to enjoy it,” Inverso said. “I'm just really proud of these guys. They've done something that hasn't been done in a long time at Rider. It's great.”

-ru-