History.

The Rider University women's soccer program made history in 2014, winning its first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship and advancing for the first time to the NCAA Championships.

In 2015 the Broncs are looking to make even more history.  “No Rider women's team of any sport has compiled back-to-back MAAC championships,” said head coach Drayson Hounsome. “That is a goal we would like to achieve this year.”

The 2015 Rider team is experienced, with 17 letterwinners, including nine starters, but is also young, with just one senior.

“The experience is definably a factor,” Hounsome said, “but we are still really young with just one senior. We aren't an experienced team when it comes to age, but we are in terms of what we have accomplished.”

That one senior is Tara Ballay (Delran, NJ), an Academic All-American last season who is the 2015 Preseason MAAC Player of the Year. Injuries have prevented Ballay from playing a full season in her career, but Rider is 24-11-6 in the 41 games she has played. An All-East and ECAC All-Star selection, Ballay enters her senior year sixth in career goals and points at Rider.

Ballay plays the wide midfield position along with sophomore Carissa Sanchez (Miami, Florida) and junior Caroline Healy (Dublin, Ireland). “We expect Tara to again be scoring goals from the left side with Carissa and Caroline competing for time on the other side,” Hounsome said.

Along with Ballay, other key returnees include junior Michelle Iacono (Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun), sophomore Ellie Smith (Norwich, England/Norwich City), junior Heather Maierle (Wantagh, N.Y./Friends Academy), sophomore Emily Schmitt (Bellmore, N.Y. /W.C. Mepham) and junior Bethany-May Howard (Glastonbury, England/Bridgwater College).

Howard was named the MAAC Championship Tournament MVP in 2014 as a Second Team All-MAAC goalkeeper and is a Preseason All-MAAC selection this year. “Beth is arguably the best goalkeeper in the conference,” Hounsome said, “definitely one of the strongest goalkeepers in the region. Hopefully she will carry on where she left off last year. We expect her to be strong and to lead the team as one of the captains. She is good with her feet and she comes out so we can use her as another outfield player. It is almost like having an additional player.”

Iacono was a First Team All-MAAC selection last year who was third in the conference in assists despite missing three games. “We are playing one forward up top and it will be Michelle,” Hounsome said.  “We expect her to be our go-to central player.”

Sophomore Alanna McDougall (Valley Stream, NY) will also see some time at the forward position.  “Alanna did a good job coming in and supporting that position last year,” Hounsome said.

Smith was on the MAAC All-Rookie Team last year. She compiled two goals and an assist in the MAAC playoffs last year.

Smith returns to the center midfield position along with juniors Hollie Kelsh (Blackpool, England) and Priscilla Santos (Glendora, California) and sophomore Shannon Kelly (Mineola, NY).  “Pretty much the same starting midfield as last year,” Hounsome said.  “Priscilla was injured during the spring but Shannon stepped in and did a great job.” Kelly played in 16 games as a rookie, starting two. “She played very well in the spring with Hollie.”

Kelsh was a Second Team All-MAAC selection as a rookie when she led the team in assists and started 18 games last year.

Maierle was a member of the MAAC All-Tournament Team last season and has been named Rider's top defender the last two years. “Heather and Tori (junior Victoria Maley of Massapequa, NY) did a good job leading the defense in the spring,” Hounsome said.  “We expect them to start where they left off. They are both juniors who have played a lot of minutes. They have a lot of experience between them and we expect them to start at center back.”

Schmitt was named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team last year as a back. “Emily was one of our most energetic players last year,” Hounsome said. Schmitt will lead the fullbacks, made up of sophomores Maddie Lipton (Los Angeles, California) and Brianna Magana (Sicklerville, NJ).

“Bri played limited minutes last year but did very well in the spring,” Hounsome said.  Lipton was named to the MAAC All-Rookie team last year. “Between the three of them we expect them to solidify the defense,” Hounsome said.

The newcomers include freshmen Meghan McCabe (Massapequa Park, NY), Amy Kozlowski (Middletown, CT), Kourtney Cunningham (Whitehall, PA), Victoria Kealy (Nutley, NJ) and Samantha Picinich (North Bellmore, NY). “It is more challenging for the freshmen now, coming into a team that has been successful and is experienced,” Hounsome said. 

McCabe led Massapequa High to the 2013 and 2014 New York State Championships as the NY State Player of the Year.  “Meghan was the best player in New York State as a defender,” Hounsome said. “She's a freshman so she might not be ready right away but she will compete for a starting spot when she is ready. Amy has loads of potential. She's done well in practice. She is good shape and will learn from Beth.”

Cunningham led Whitehall High School to the 2014 District XI AAA Championship with a district-high 41 goals and 19 assists.  “Kourtney has looked very good the first few days,” Hounsome said.  “She has good pace.”

Kealy is the all-time leading scorer at Nutley High School, graduating with 79 career goals.  “When Victoria is ready she will help us on the offensive end,” Hounsome said.

Picinich was an All-County selection last year at Mepham High School. “Sam is more of a midfielder and will be in the mix with Priscilla (Santos), Shannon (Kelly) and Hollie (Kelsh),” Hounsome said. “The four of them will be competing for those spots.”

Monmouth and Fairfield are again picked to be the top teams in the MAAC. “And they should be,” Hounsome said. “When we played Fairfield (during the regular season) we had the better of the play, but they won the game. Anyone watching would say that we were the better team that day. But the goal is to win the game.” Rider defeated the top seeded Monmouth squad in the MAAC semifinals.

“The development of the players and the experience we now have would say that this year's team is better than last year's, at least on paper,” Hounsome said.  “But last year we won on the personalities of the players. The team chemistry. That is something that is hard to judge going in. On paper, we should be right where we were last year or better. We have a good group, the energy is good. The team with the best technical players, the team with the fittest players, doesn't always win it all. The team chemistry is what wins championships. And we had that last year.”

With that same team chemistry this year, history is there for the making.