College Field Hockey
Rider University 5, Columbia University 3

NEW YORK, N.Y.—With the lights of Broadway nearby, the offense of the Rider University field hockey team put on a show.

Trailing 3-2 with 19 minutes left in the game, Rider (3-0) scored three unanswered goals, including twice, 43 seconds apart, both by sophomore Allison Baligian (Flemington/Hunterdon Central) as the Broncs won 5-3 at Columbia University on Friday evening.

“We played on turf for the first time this season so it took a little longer to adjust to it,” said head coach Lori Hussong.  “It was a back and forth game and Columbia was tough.  Defensively we made some key errors and we need to clean that up better than we did tonight.”

Rider opened the scoring 7:18 into the game when freshman Angie Price (Sydney, Australia/Clifton College) came off the bench to score her first collegiate goal, taking a long pass up the field and stickhandling past the goalie.

“Angie is getting acclimated better and better each game,” Hussong said.  “She played a relaxed game and let her skills take over.”

“It felt really good to add what I can contribute to the team,” Price said about scoring her first two collegiate goals.  “The most important thing is to contribute.”

Columbia forged a 1-1 tie with 11 minutes left before the half on a penalty corner, breaking a scoreless streak by the Bronc defense of 94:06 to start the season.

Price responded just 2:33 later at 26:39, taking a crossing pass from junior Carlie Spaeder (Newtown Square, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) and tipping it past the Lion goalie.  Spaeder, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Week for all games the opening week of the season, played 64 minutes and now has five points on the season.

Rider took a 2-1 lead into intermission.

Columbia (0-1) scored back to back goals early in the second half, the last on a deflection with exactly 24:00 left in the game as the Lions took a 3-2 lead.

When Spaeder was taken down in front of the goal, Baligian took the ensuing penalty stroke and hit the upper corner with 16:54 left to tie the game 3-3 and just 43 seconds later, she took a pass up the center of the field from Price and gave Rider its third one-goal lead of the game with 16:11 remaining.  Price finished with five points in the contest.

“Allison has been a work horse for us,” Hussong said.  “Starting with the preseason, she has given us hustle and determination.”

“My teammates pumped me up before I took the stroke,” Baligian remembered.  “I just put the ball in a good spot, in the upper left corner.  On the play after that, Carlie (Spaeder) had a great first initial touch on the ball and passed it to Angie (Price) and when the defender came over, she placed it on my stick and I just went to the goal.”

“Carlie was outstanding as well,” Hussong said.  “She had just as strong game of a game as she did at Georgetown.”

Spaeder scored the only goal of the game last Sunday, with 16 seconds remaining, when the Broncs escaped with a 1-0 win at Georgetown.

A 23-game veteran, Baligian now has 11 goals, including five game-winners and has two game-winning goals already this season, after scoring the opening goal in Rider's 3-0 win over Lehigh University on August 28.

“The game was intense,” Baligian added.

Sophomore Shannon Hughes (South Plainfield) took advantage of a three on one play with six minutes remaining, notching her first tally of the season for the final score.

“Shannon had a huge game tonight as well,” Hussong said.  “Also Carrie Nyce (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) played a strong game.  We are gaining confidence as a group.  We are feisty but have a strong work ethic.”

Rider senior goalie Joelle Prettyman (Newark, Del./St. Mark's) made three saves in the game.

The Broncs out-shot Columbia 20-13 with the Lions holding a 6-5 penalty corner advantage.

Rider has won four of seven games all-time against Columbia.  The teams last met October 3, 2012 when the Lions prevailed 3-2 on Ben Cohen Field.  Tonight was Rider's first victory over the Lions since the 2004 season when the Broncs won 2-0.

Rider's last 3-0 start was in 2013 when the Broncs defeated Colgate, Georgetown and Villanova.

“The 3-0 start feels amazing,” Baligian said.  “This team can do so much and we are finally showing people what we are made of.  We need to keep it going for Sunday, Vermont is a very good team.”

“We are really playing well as a team,” Price added about the start to the season.  “We are getting better and better and the team is starting to gel.  It is an uplifting feeling to be able to contribute to the success of the team.”

The Broncs travel to the University of Vermont on Sunday for a non-conference game at 1pm.

Rider returns home on Sunday, September 13 at noon when the Broncs celebrate Alumni Day and welcome La Salle University to Ben Cohen Field.

-RU-