Box Score Women's College Soccer
Rider University 1, Saint Joseph's University 1 (2OT)
LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ—The Broncs and Hawks played to a tie Sunday afternoon. “Saint Joe's is a really good team,” said Rider head coach Drayson Hounsome. “They are really tough and a bad match-up for us. They are as athletic a team as we ever see.”
Rider (3-2-2) tied the score at 1-1 in the 33rd minute on a penalty kick by senior Heather Maierle (Wantagh, N.Y./Friends Academy) after a Saint Joseph's player was called for a foul in the box. “We knew coming in Saint Joseph's was going to be a really good team,” said Maierle, Rider's top defender the last two years. “Overall I felt we held them and showed our depth with the injured players we didn't have today.”
It was Maierle's third career goal, second on PKs. In addition to the two PKs Maierle also scored in the shootout that gave Rider the 2014 MAAC Championship. “Heather is our first choice for the penalty kicks,” Hounsome said. “I was pretty confident taking it today,” Maierle said. “There is always pressure in taking them but after taking the PK in the MAAC finals this was not as much pressure.”
Saint Joseph's (5-1-1) took a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute of play by keeping the possession following a corner kick. “We gave them too many corners in the beginning of the game and they scored after one,” Hounsome said.
Saint Joseph's had eight corner kicks to just two for Rider.
Saint Joseph's out-shot Rider 26-7, many from long range. “We had a game plan and it worked,” Hounsome said. “Getting a positive result against a really strong team like that is good.”
Saint Joseph's only loss this year was a 1-0 decision at nationally ranked Rutgers.
Rider senior goalkeeper Bethany-May Howard (Glastonbury, England/Bridgwater College) made 12 saves. “I don't know if she had any super saves,” Hounsome said. “A lot of their shots were from far out.”
Rider ends the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 3-2-2 record. “Our non-conference schedule has been really good,” Hounsome said. “Against the competition we have played 3-2-2 is as good as we would have hoped. It was by far the toughest non-conference schedule we've ever had.”
It was the fourth straight overtime game for the Broncs, who are 1-1-2 in overtime games this year. “I think overtime is a crazy rule,” Hounsome said, “because after 90 minutes the players are dead tired. It is exciting for the crowd, and it is exciting if you win and horrible when you lose it.”
This was just the fourth meeting between Rider and Saint Joseph's. The Hawks won 3-0 last year. Rider won the first two meetings, in 2007 and 2006.
Rider begins MAAC play Saturday when the Broncs host Quinnipiac at 1pm on Ben Cohen Field. “Quinnipiac has had a good non-conference schedule,” Hounsome said. “The intensity hypes up now. They are going to be tough.”
“I think we had a really tough non-conference schedule and we're going into MAAC play with a winning record," Maierle said, "so I think that's a positive for us. This was a good tie today against a good team.”
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