LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University field hockey team defeated visiting LIU, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon in Northeast Conference (NEC) play at Ben Cohen Field.
 
The Broncs (9-3, 3-0 NEC) won their third straight conference contest, while the Sharks (4-6, 1-1 NEC) saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.
 
Rider struck first in the contest as sophomore Tess van Ommeren (Amsterdam, Netherlands/Sint Nicolaas Lyceum) scored off a penalty corner early in the second quarter.
 
van Ommeren's marker came off a feed from Kaitlyn Flemming (Bellmawr, NJ/Triton Regional High School) and was the only score of the first half with the hosts taking a 1-0 edge into halftime.
 
Bronc sophomore Julia Divorra (Terrassa, Spain/Vedruna Vall) stretched the lead to 2-0 for the hosts with the eventual game-winning goal in the 38th minute. On a nice individual effort, Divorra shed the Shark defender marking her and fired a ball into the back of the cage from just inside the circle.
 
LIU would cut the Rider lead in half early in the fourth quarter, but the Bronc defense held their ground.
 
Junior Lena Vandam (Brasschaat, Belgium) made three saves in the cage for Rider to earn the win. 
 
NOTES & QUOTES
"It was great to get the win today in front of our Alumni and especially on a day where we were not just playing for Rider, but playing for our beloved team mentor Cathy and our own Hannah Hartwell as we 'Played 4 the Cure'. We are very proud that our team played hard and with spirit and found a way to get the job done to secure the win. The  defense stood up to some pretty strong LIU  pressure and came through when we needed them to. Tess, Kait and Brit held the back line really well and Sierra, Julia and Carly helped offensively at the other end of the field." - Rider Head Coach Lori Hussong

- It was the first meeting between the two teams. Following last season, the LIU Brooklyn and LIU Post athletic departments merged.
- Rider outshot the Sharks, 10-4. The Broncs had nine shots on goal, while LIU fired four shots on target.
- The Broncs took eight penalty corners, while LIU had six.
- Rider is now 3-2 at home this season. Four of Rider's five home games have been decided by one goal.
- The Broncs are now 3-2 in one-goal games this fall.
 
BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- Divorra scored for the second game in a row. Rider is now 9-0 this year when Divorra scores. She has a conference-leading 12 goals and 29 points on the season.
- Kaitlyn Flemming picked up her first assist of the season and the third of her career.
- Tess van Ommeren scored for the second game in a row. She now has four markers on the season.
 
UP NEXT
Rider returns to action on Friday, October 18, with a road conference showdown against NEC preseason-favorite Fairfield in the Nutmeg State. The Broncs are looking to avenge a 1-0 setback to the Stags in the postseason last fall. The last three games between the two teams have been decided by one goal.