Sunday, October 28, 2018
#5 Rider Broncs (8-5-4, 4-3-3 MAAC) vs. #4 Niagara Purple Eagles (9-6-2, 5-3-2 MAAC)
Location: Niagara University, NY – Niagara Field
Kickoff: 12 p.m.
Live Video – MAAC.TV
Live Stats – PurpleEagles.com

What You Need To Know
- The Broncs are playing in the MAAC Championships for the sixth-straight year. Rider won the tournament in 2014 and has been a fixture in the semifinals, reaching the final four in 11 of the last 20 years.
- The winner of Sunday's quarterfinal game will travel to the either top-seeded Monmouth or No. 2 Marist for Thursday's semifinals. Should sixth-seeded Quinnipiac knock off No. 3 Siena, the Niagara-Rider winner would head to Poughkeepsie. A Siena win would send the Purple Eagles or Broncs to West Long Branch.
- Niagara earned a 2-1 win over the Broncs on Sept. 22 in Western New York. The Broncs scored first on a Meghan McCabe tally in the 36^th minute. But the Purple Eagles equalized 26 seconds later and got the game winner in the 71^st minute.
- The Purple Eagles own a 12-9-2 edge in the all-time series with the Broncs. However, Rider had been unbeaten in four meetings prior to the Sept. 22 setback dating back to 2015. Included in 3-0-1 mark was a 2015 MAAC Quarterfinal win on Ben Cohen Field.
- Rider is 5-1-2 when scoring first this season. The lone loss came at Niagara. 
- A Bronc scored her first-career goal for the third-straight game on Oct. 24 at Saint Peter's. Ailis Martin followed Ashlyn Johnson's first-career tally on Oct. 17 against Quinnipiac and Sarah Gellert's first goal on Oct. 20 against Canisius.
- 11 different Broncs have scored a goal this season.
- Valeria Pascuet extended her team-leading assist total to seven on Oct. 24 at Saint Peter's. She's now increased her assist total in each of her three years with three as a freshman, four last season and now seven in her junior season. Her 14 career assists in less than three years are already tied for seventh in program history with Bridgette Bartkowski, Hollie Kelsh and Tami Coyle.
- Kourtney Cunningham was named MAAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season on Oct. 22 after registering a goal and an assist in the Broncs' 1-0-1 week. The goal was the 20^th of her career, placing her in a tie for sixth all-time at Rider, while her 15 assists places her fifth, tied with former teammate Ellie Smith. Cunningham's 55 points are seventh, one behind another former teammate, Michelle Iacono, for sixth.
- With 19 points apiece this year, Cunningham and Pascuet are currently tied for third in the MAAC. Cunningham's eight goals are tied for second, while Pascuet's six are tied for fifth. Pascuet is second in the MAAC with seven assists, while Sam Picinich's five assists rank tied for fifth.
- Niagara is led by Annie Ibey, who's scored eight goals and added three assists this year. Kelsey Araujo has added five goals and three assists, while Hailey Bicknell has contributed four goals and two assists.
- The Purple Eagles have a pair of goalies who've each seen significant time in net. Sabrina Locas has started 10 games and posted a 1.36 goals-against average and a .774 saves percentage, while Shania van Nuland has compiled a 1.08 GAA and .778 saves percentage. van Nuland got the start in the Sept. 22 meeting with Rider and made five saves to earn the win.
- The Broncs earned a come-from-behind, 2-1 win over Quinnipiac on Oct. 17. Kourtney Cunningham scored her team-leading eighth goal of the year and Ashlyn Johnson's first-career goal was the game winner. Cunningham has now scored in each of the Broncs' last three wins.
- Rider earned a 3-2 road win at Iona on Oct. 3. Valeria Pascuet scored twice for the second time this year to lead the Broncs to the victory. 
- Entering the season, Pascuet had just two goals through two years, one each in 2016 and 2017. She's scored six goals so far this season.
- Rider defeated Monmouth on Sept. 16. The win over Monmouth was the Broncs' first in the regular season over the Hawks since Monmouth joined the MAAC in 2013. Monmouth entered the contest 44-3-3 over its five years in the MAAC. The Hawks had not lost a conference opener since joining the league.
- Pascuet scored her fourth goal of the year to equalize at Fairfield in the 90^th minute.
- Gellert assisted on Pascuet's game-tying goal at Fairfield for her first-career assist.
- Cashin was called up to England's U-19 National Team for UEFA Qualifying. She helped her country qualify in three games in Croatia on Oct. 1, 4 and 7.
- Rider wrapped up non-conference play with a pair of wins on the road at Columbia (2-1) and Delaware State (5-1).
- The Broncs' five goals at Delaware State were their most in a single game since a 5-0 win over FDU in 2016.
- Cunningham registered her first-career hat trick with three goals and an assist at Delaware State on Sept. 12. It was the Broncs' first hat trick since Ellie Smith did it against Fairleigh Dickinson on Aug. 25, 2016.
- Rider earned a 2-1 win at Columbia on Sept. 9 on the strength of Pascuet's brace.
- Sophomore goalkeeper Carmen Carbonell matched her career high of 12 saves, first established in the season-opener at Drexel, on Sept. 6 against nationally-ranked No. 23 Princeton. Carbonell had at least seven stops in her first five games before departing early against Columbia with four saves through 38-plus minutes. Carbonell currently leads the MAAC in total saves (97) and saves per game (6.47).
- At 2-0-1 through three games, the Broncs started the season undefeated through three games for the first time since 2012. The 2012 squad won its first four.
- The Broncs' first three games of the season went to overtime. The last time Rider had three-straight games go to overtime to open a season came in 2010.  
- Rider opened the year with a 1-1 tie at Drexel, with Kourtney Cunningham scoring the equalizer in the 86^th minute. Cunningham's flair for the dramatic continued in a 2-1 overtime win as she scored the golden goal in the 95^th minute off a Sam Picinich assist.
- Picinich scored the game-winner against Fairleigh Dickinson in the 99^th minute, sending what appeared to be a pass ahead toward Cunningham at the top of the 18-yard box. Cunningham chased after the pass, as did the FDU goalkeeper. The ball bounced between the two, over the keeper's head and into the net for the win.
- Emily Curteis scored the equalizer against FDU in the 90^th minute. It was her first goal as a Bronc, while Cunningham and Sofia Soares assisted on the play. The assist was Soares' first since Sept. 17, 2016 after the junior missed all of 2017 due to injury.
- Picinich equalized against Wagner on a header in the 60^th minute off a beautiful free kick into the box from Pascuet as the Broncs came from behind for a 2-1 overtime victory.
- The Broncs returned seven players who started at least 11 games last season.
- Pascuet was named to the Preseason All-MAAC Team after consecutive all-league selections.
- Cunningham is joined by graduate student Maddie Lipton and Picinich as team captains.
- Picinich came on strong late last season, finishing with two goals and two assists.
- Lipton is joined on an experienced Broncs' back line by 2017 Preseason All-MAAC selection Meghan McCabe. 
- Rider welcomed eight newcomers this season in graduate student Emily Curteis (Stoke City Ladies FC) and freshmen Nikki Arrington (Middleton, MA/Masconomet Regional), Niamh Cashin (Nottingham, England/Sheffield FC), Gabrielle Cook (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South), Sarah Gellert (Severna Park, MD/Severna Park), Ailis Martin (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac), Ellie May (Dronfield, England/Leicester City Women FC) and Teresa Richardson (Las Vegas, NV/Bishop Gorman).
- Notable losses from last year's roster include 2018 All-MAAC First Team selection Michelle Iacono, who had a team-high eight goals, seven assists and 23 points a year ago, and fellow First-Team honoree Emily Schmitt, who was a stabilizing force on the back line. Ellie Smith, who scored four goals despite missing six games due to injury, and Shannon Kelly (one goal, two assists in 2017) will also be missed.