NEW HAVEN, CT – Sophomore forward Marion Waterkeyn (Antwerp, Belgium/OLVE) scored the game-winning goal early in the second half as the Rider University field hockey team edged host Sacred Heart, 2-1, on Friday evening in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) action at Johnson Field on Yale University's campus.  

The Broncs (11-6, 4-1 MAAC) won their fourth straight game against the Pioneers (8-10, 2-3 MAAC). With the victory, Rider secured the No. 2 seed in the upcoming MAAC Tournament and Sacred Heart will be the No. 4 seed and square off with top-seed and host Monmouth in the MAAC Semifinals next Friday. The Broncs will begin their quest for their first-ever MAAC title by taking on No. 3 seed and reigning MAAC champion Fairfield.

Rider got on the board first as junior Jade Freeberg (West Deptford, NJ/West Deptford) potted her first marker of the year in the 26th minute. Freeberg converted a feed from freshman Tess van Ommeren (Amsterdam, Netherlands/Sint Nicolaas Lyceum) and slid her shot between the post and the Pioneer netminder.

Freeberg's strike was the lone goal in the first 35 minutes as the guests took a 1-0 edge into halftime. During the first half, Bronc sophomore goalkeeper Lena Vandam (Brasschaat, Belgium) turned aside all eight shots she faced.

In the second half, Waterkeyn scored the eventual game-winner in the 43rd minute with van Ommeren picking up her second helper of the game.   

The hosts cut the deficit in half with a goal in the 65th minute, but the Bronc backline held their ground down the stretch to preserve the win.

NOTES & QUOTES
"Tonight we played tough on both ends of the field. We went hard to the fifty-fifty balls and played scrappy. We played with energy and our second effort was amazing. Lena made some unbelievable saves and our back line of Gianna Morganti, Tess Coorens and Alison Amen came up big. Tess van Ommeren played like a seasoned veteran." – Rider Head Coach Lori Hussong

"Finishing 4-1 in MAAC play is really a great accomplishment for a very young team and we are so proud of our team as we have improved immensely from the start." – Hussong

- The Broncs are 9-4 on the road this season.
- Rider has won seven of their last eight games on the road.
- The Broncs will be making their 19th straight postseason appearance.
- Rider leads the all-time series with Sacred Heart, 23-7.
- The Broncs are now 4-4 in games decided by one goal this year. The team has won four of their last five games decided by one goal.         
- Rider held a 14-12 advantage in shots. The Pioneers had 12 shots on goal, while the Broncs had seven.
- The Broncs had three penalty corners and SHU took nine.

BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- Tess van Ommeren registered a point for the seventh straight game. Over her last seven games she has four goals and eight assists. She leads the team with 10 helpers this autumn.
- For the second time this season, Tess Coorens recorded two defensive saves for the Broncs. She now leads the team and ranks third in the MAAC with four defensive saves on the year.
- On the year, Lena Vandam is 11-6 with a 1.96 goals-against average, 107 saves, a .754 save percentage and four shutouts. She made nine saves on Friday. It marked her fifth game with nine or more saves this autumn.
- Freeberg's goal was the fourth of her career.
- Waterkeyn's strike was her eighth of the fall. She scored for the second straight conference game.

UP NEXT
Rider returns to action and closes out the regular season on Sunday, October 28 with a road non-conference showdown against Colgate that is scheduled to get underway at 1:00 pm in Hamilton, New York. The Broncs are looking for the ninth straight victory versus the Raiders.