College Field Hockey
Rider University 4, Villanova University 3

LAWRENCEVILLE—Playing its third game in four days, the Rider University field hockey team built a 3-0 lead and held on for a 4-3 victory over Villanova University Tuesday afternoon on Ben Cohen Field.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Broncs.

“It was a good game to bounce back after losing two in a row,” said head coach Lori Hussong.  “I would have liked it to not have gotten so defensive at the end.  Even up three goals, we knew Villanova always fights back; they did the exact same thing last year.  They are always an attacking team and they are pretty even with us.”

Leading 3-1, junior Melissa Cunningham (Oaklyn/Collingswood) scored on a penalty corner 4:59 into the second half, with senior Carlota Alsina (Barcelona, Spain) and freshman Tess Coorens (The Netherlands) providing the assists to give Rider (3-3) a three-goal advantage.

Villanova (0-6) then scored twice in 23 seconds during the 43rd minute to get to within one goal.

“I was happy that we stood tall and handled the pressure,” Hussong said.  “The whole momentum was in their favor.  Carlota (Alsina) and Melissa (Cunningham) did a good job getting everyone settled down.  The toughness we showed, that was good.”

Junior Allison Baligian (Flemington/Hunterdon Central) scored her second goal of the season on a penalty corner with Alsina and Coorens providing the helpers to give Rider a 1-0 lead, 13:24 into the game.

Senior Carlie Spaeder (Newtown Square, PA/Cardinal O'Hara) notched her third goal of the season, tipping in a long pass from Cunningham to give the Broncs a two-goal lead, 21:35 into the contest. 

“Carlie ignited our attack today,” Hussong said.  “Three games in four days, that showed and with her energy, she really got the offense going, especially in the opening half.”

“We worked well as a team and I just had a lucky touch,” Spaeder said in describing her goal.  “Overall the offense moved the ball well and initiated scoring opportunities.  When it got to one goal, we continued to work hard together and toughed it out.”

Spaeder, who lives about 20 minutes from Villanova (Newtown Square, Pennsylvania), now has six of her 20 career goals against the Wildcats, including a hat trick last season.

“I'm from around that area (where Villanova is), and I guess I just like playing against them,” Spaeder added.  “I also had a lot of family members that went to Villanova.”

Freshman Daane Koch (The Netherlands) scored her third goal of the season, rebounding her own shot high into the goal to give Rider a 3-0 lead, one minute 31 seconds after Spaeder's goal, at the 23:16 mark.  Koch, who leads the Bronc squad in scoring with nine points, was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week for the second week in a row, earlier in the day.

Rider led 3-0 at intermission.

Villanova got on the board two minutes and 40 seconds into the second half to cut Rider's lead to 3-1.

Freshman Voirrey Baker (Ramsey, British Isles) played the first 42:38, allowing three goals before giving way to freshman Emily Gilligan (West Deptford).  Baker made four saves in the game.

Rider out-shot the Wildcats 21-10, including 13-3 in the opening half.

The Broncs held an 11-9 penalty corner advantage.

Rider has won seven straight in the series and the Broncs are 12-6-1 all-time against Villanova.  The teams met on October 11, 2015 at Villanova when the Broncs built a 3-1 first half lead on the strength of a Spaeder hat trick and held on for a 4-3 victory.

Rider won at home against 'Nova 3-1 in 2014, with Spaeder scoring the final goal of the game.  Villanova and Rider met in 2013 when the Broncs scored with less than six minutes remaining in a 1-0 victory on Ben Cohen Field.  Rider defeated Villanova 2-0 in Lawrenceville in 2012 and the Broncs defeated the Wildcats at Villanova 3-0 in 2011.  Rider defeated Villanova 2-1 in overtime during the 2010 season which at the time was the first Bronc win over the Wildcats since 1993 (1-0 in overtime). The Wildcats defeated Rider in 2008 at Villanova 1-0 on a penalty corner at the end of regulation.

Rider is 2-0 on Ben Cohen Field this season after winning five of six games at home last season.  Rider is 43-6 (.878) all-time on the lighted campus turf field facility that opened in the fall of 2010.

Rider travels to Hofstra September 17 for a 1pm non-conference game.  “Each game is tough,” Hussong added.  “We know we have a mountain to climb to continue and improve if we want to make a run at the playoffs come conference time.”

-RU-