Saturday, September 23, 2017
Rider Broncs (1-7-0, 1-1-0 MAAC) vs. Fairfield Stags (4-4-0, 2-0-0 MAAC)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ – Ben Cohen Field
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Live Video – GoBroncs.com
Live Stats – GoBroncs.com
 
What You Need To Know
- The Broncs welcome Fairfield, unbeaten in the MAAC so far this season, to Ben Cohen Field Saturday.
- Rider University Women's Soccer has partnered with Vs. Cancer this season to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer. The fundraiser is lasting throughout the season, but the team will celebrate their efforts during Saturday's game. In partnership with Vs. Cancer, 50 percent of the money raised will fund national brain tumor research efforts through the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, while the other half goes directly to the pediatric oncology unit at Saint Peter's University Hospital.
- Fairfield owns a 17-5-1 advantage in the all-time against the Broncs. However the series has been much closer in recent years. The last five regular-season meetings have been decided by a 1-0 score and the only exception over the last five years came in a 1-1 tie in the 2014 MAAC Championship Game, in which Rider advanced to the NCAA Tournament on penalty kicks. The home team has won the last four matches.
- Fairfield has defeated Iona and Siena in starting the MAAC slate 2-0. The Stags also won a pair of double-overtime games in the non-conference season against Houston Baptist and Binghamton.
- Rider scored a season-high three goals in a 3-0 clean sheet against Saint Peter's on Wednesday. Ellie Smith scored two goals, while Kourtney Cunningham added a tally. Valeria Pascuet and Michelle Iacono contributed two assists apiece.
- Freshman goalkeeper Carmen Carbonell made a season-high eight saves on Sept. 16 at Marist and posted her first collegiate shutout on Sept. 20 against Saint Peter's.
- Cunningham and Smith leads the Broncs with three goals apiece so far in 2017. Cunningham scored once each against Wagner, NJIT and Saint Peter's, while Smith scored twice against Saint Peter's and added another at Temple.
- Smith returned to the Broncs after leading the team in scoring in 2016 (eight goals, five assists, 21 points). She was a 2016 All-MAAC First Team and All-ECAC Honorable Mention selection.
- The Broncs returned eight players in 2017 who started at least 12 games last season.
- Smith and junior back Meghan McCabe were named to the Preseason All-MAAC Team.
- A three-year starter on the Broncs' back line, senior Emily Schmitt was named team captain this year.
- The 2017 MAAC Championships will be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. All 11 teams in the league will participate, with the top five teams receiving a first-round bye.