BOONE, NC – The Rider University field hockey team lost in overtime on the road to Appalachian State,4-3, on Sunday afternoon in non-conference action at Brandon & Erica M Adcock Field.

The Mountaineers (3-1) erased a two-goal, second-half deficit to earn their third win of the year, while the Broncs (1-2) ended up splitting their two-game Tar Heel State road trip.   

Trailing by a goal early in the first half, Rider potted the equalizer as sophomore Marion Waterkeyn (Antwerp, Belgium/OLVE) converted a feed from freshman Kat Conroy (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional). The Broncs took a 2-1 lead into halftime as freshman Julia Divorra (Terrassa, Spain/Vedruna Vall) found the back of the cage in the 31st minute.

Divorra was not done for the day as she helped set up Rider's third goal of the game early in the second half. Divorra picked up her second career assist on junior Tess Coorens (Leiden, Netherlands/Visser'T Hooft Lyceum) marker which gave the guests a 3-1 edge in the 41st minute.

Appalachian State answered quickly cutting the deficit to just one at 3-2 four minutes later. With less than three minutes remaining in regulation, the Mountaineers knotted the tilt at three courtesy of a strike from Veerle Van Heertum.

Appalachian State scored the golden goal four minutes and 35 seconds into overtime thanks to a nice move and shot from Fredi Stegen.  

In the cage for Rider, sophomore Lena Vandam (Brasschaat, Belgium) made five saves in a losing effort.

NOTES & QUOTES
"We will use today's game as another learning experience to improve our play. We made some critical mistakes on the defensive end in the last 15 minutes of the game that cost us. Appalachian State was the better team athletically as well as skill-wise. We needed to match their intensity the entire game and not let up at the end." – Rider Head Coach Lori Hussong

- Appalachian State took eight penalty corners compared to just three for the Broncs.
- The Mountaineers held a 16-9 advantage in shots.
- Rider ended their two-game road trip in North Carolina with a 1-1 record after topping Davidson on Friday.

BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- Tess Coorens has scored in all three Rider games this season. She has one game-winning goal and has a team-best seven points (3G, 1A).
- Julia Divorra has recorded a point in every game she has played as a Bronc. She has found the back of the cage in back-to-back contests. She has six points this year (2 G, 2A).
- Marion Waterkeyn has matched her goal output from last season (two goals) already through three games. She opened the scoring for Rider for the second time this fall.
- Kat Conroy picked up her first collegiate point with the helper on Waterkeyn's tally.
- Vandam turned aside five or more shots for the second time already this fall.
- Alison Amen had a defensive save for the Broncs.

UP NEXT
Rider returns to action on Friday, September 7 with a road non-conference clash against Towson. Last season, the Broncs defeated the Tigers, 4-0, in Lawrenceville.