West Long Branch, NJ – The fourth-seeded Rider University field hockey team fell on the road to top-seeded Monmouth, 2-0, in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament Semifinals on Friday afternoon at So Sweet A Cat Field.

The Hawks (15-3) ended the Broncs (8-11) season in the conference tournament for the second year in a row in West Long Branch.
Rider and Monmouth were scoreless for the first 35 minutes of play. During the opening half, the hosts held a seven to one advantage in shots and took three penalty corners compared to zero for the Broncs.

The Hawks got on the board in the 37th minute as Meg Donahue scored on a penalty stroke. Donahue's eighth marker of the season proved to be the game-winner as the Monmouth defensive back line and Hawk goalkeeper Christen Piersanti kept the Broncs off the board.   

Monmouth would add another goal in later in the second half as Rachel Konowal potted her seventh of the season. Konowal took a shot from inside the circle that deflected off a Rider player's back and into the cage.

The Broncs threatened down the stretch as freshman Kaitlyn Flemming (Bellmawr, NJ/Triton Regional High School) fired a shot on cage off a penalty corner that was stopped by Piersanti.

Freshman Lena Vandam (Brasschaat, Belgium) was solid for Rider in the cage. She turned aside nine shots in a losing effort.

Notes & Quotes
"I think we played as well as we could play," Rider Head Coach Lori Hussong said. "If we had took advantage of a few chances we had in the first half it would have been a different story. Our defense played phenomenal today and Lena kept us in the game with some big saves. Overall, we are very happy with the way we played."

"You couldn't ask for a nicer group of young women to work with," Hussong noted of her graduating players following their final collegiate game. "Each and every one gave their heart and soul to our program. All five of them developed into not only great field hockey players, but more importantly great people. You can't ask for any better kids than that in your program."

- Five Broncs received All-MAAC honors as announced by the league office at the MAAC Awards Show on Thursday evening. Freshman Lena Vandam was named the MAAC Co-Goalkeeper of the Year. Vandam, Allison Baligian and Melissa Cunningham were named to the All-MAAC First Team, while Jessica Randazzo and Eline De Jong landed on the Second Team.
- Seven Rider student-athletes were also named to the MAAC All-Academic Team on Thursday.
- Monmouth held a 21-3 advantage in shots.
- Monmouth took six penalty corners compared to three for Rider. All three of Rider's came in the final 20 minutes of play.
- Rider had a season-high three defensive saves as a team.

Broncs by the Numbers
- Melissa Cunningham had a defensive save for the Broncs. She now leads the team with six defensive saves this season. She has recorded a defensive save in five consecutive games.
- Cunningham also tied a single-season program record with her six defensive saves.
- Alison Amen had two defensive saves for the Broncs. Both came in the second half. It doubled her season total as she ends the year with four.
- Flemming had the lone Rider shot on goal.
- Vandam has made five or more saves in a game eight times this year, including four games in a row to close out the year.