Sunday, November 3, 2019 * MAAC CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINALS
#3 Rider Broncs (8-5-4, 5-3-2 MAAC) vs. #6 Niagara Purple Eagles (8-7-2, 4-5-1 MAAC)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ – Ben Cohen Field
Kickoff: 4 p.m.
Live Video – ESPN+
Live Stats – GoBroncs.com
Tickets - MAACSports.com
 
What You Need To Know
- Third-seeded Rider plays host to No. 6 Niagara in the MAAC Quarterfinals on Sunday. The two teams are squaring off for the second-straight season in the league quarterfinals. Niagara took a 2-1 win last Oct. 28 to take a season sweep with both games in Western New York. This season, Rider took a decisive 5-0 win in Lawrenceville on Oct. 2.
- The Broncs are playing in the MAAC Championships for the seventh-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 21 years.
- Should Rider win Sunday's match, the Broncs would travel to second-seeded Fairfield in the semifinals on Thursday at 7 p.m. A Niagara win would pit the Purple Eagles against top-seeded Monmouth in West Long Branch on Thursday 5 p.m.
- Five different Broncs – Emily Curteis, Valeria Pascuet, Makenzie Rodrigues, Madeleine Tarin and Erica Ludwikowski – each scored a goal in the Broncs' Oct. 2 win over Niagara. Sofia Soares had a pair of assists, while Pascuet, Curteis and Karagh Tait also tallied one assist each.
- Rider is 12-1-4 over the last two seasons when scoring first, including a 7-0-2 mark so far this season.  
- Niagara enters Sunday's quarterfinal game rested, having enjoyed the league's bye date on the final Wednesday of the league schedule. The Purple Eagles defeated Siena and Saint Peter's in their final two games of the regular season.  
- Annie Ibey leads Niagara with six goals and 13 points this season, while Kelsey Araujo has added four goals and four assists. Veda Hensel has chipped in with three goals and two assists, while Hailey Bicknell has contributed a goal and a team-high five assists.
- Sabrina Locas has seen the majority of action in goal this season for Niagara, posting a 1.31 goals-against average and a .780 saves percentage.
- Rider's win earlier this season over Niagara cut the Purple Eagles' lead in the all-time series to 13-10-2.
- Hailey Russell earned MAAC Rookie of the Week on Oct. 28, her second honor of the year, following a two-goal effort in the Broncs' 2-1 road overtime victory at Canisius on Oct. 23. She now has a team-leading six goals and 14 points on the year.
- Rider goalkeeper Carmen Carbonell's six shutouts this season surpass the five that she'd compiled in two prior seasons combined. Her six clean sheets are tied for second-most in program single-season history with Bethany-May Howard (2014, 2016), Erin Wolleon (2001) and Jen Nichols (2012). Howard holds the program record with eight shutouts in 2015.
- Russell scored her fourth goal of the year in a 3-1 loss at Manhattan on Oct. 16. Soares and Rodrigues have also scored four times each.
- At 4-0-1, the Broncs were unbeaten through five MAAC contests for the first time in program history. The closest Rider had come was a 4-0-0 start in 2016 before falling in the fifth game. Rider opened MAAC play with a 1-1 tie against Siena on Sept. 21, before defeating Quinnipiac (Sept. 28), Niagara (Oct. 2), Marist (Oct. 5) and Saint Peter's (Oct. 9).
- Rider defeated Marist, 1-0, on Oct. 5 on Hailey Russell's header off a Nikki Arrington cross into the box in the 84^th minute. The win was Rider's first in Poughkeepsie since 2004.
- Rider erupted for a 5-0 win over Niagara on Oct. 2. Five different Broncs – Emily Curteis, Valeria Pascuet, Madeleine Tarin, Makenzie Rodrigues and Erica Ludwikowski – scored goals in the win. 
- In both of Rider's road MAAC wins, they've broken a scoreless tie in the 84^th minute.
- Carbonell was voted MAAC Defensive Player of the Week for the second-straight week and the third time this season on Oct. 7 after posting consecutive clean sheets against Niagara and Marist.
- Carbonell and Camryn Dees were named MAAC Defensive Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively, on Sept. 30. Carbonell made a career-high 15 saves, while Dees added an assist in the Broncs' 2-0 win at Quinnipiac. It marked the second time Carbonell has been honored, while Dees joined Russell and Rodrigues as Broncs' freshmen to be recognized this season.  
- Rider scored twice in a 49-second span to take a 2-0 win at Quinnipiac on Sept. 28. Ailis Martin scored the game-winner in the 84^th minute, before Soares' diving header at the goal line in the 85^th minute gave the Broncs some insurance.
- Pascuet scored in the 45^th minute of the Broncs' 1-1 tie with Siena to open league play on Sept. 21. The goal was her first of the year after finding the back of the net six times in 2018.
- Rodrigues scored the equalizer in the 71^st minute against Temple en route to a 1-1 draw with the Owls. Paired with her two goals against Delaware State, Rodrigues had three goals on the week en route to MAAC Rookie of the Week honors on Sept. 16.
- Rider scored a resounding 6-1 win over Delaware State on Sept. 12 on the strength of Sofia Soares' hat trick and seven-point game and another pair of goals from Rodrigues, the first of her career. The hat trick followed another three goals a year ago from former Bronc Kourtney Cunningham, also on Sept. 12 against the same Hornets.
- After winning their first two games against Wagner and St. Francis Brooklyn at home, the Broncs tied Fairleigh Dickinson and fell to NJIT and Columbia. 
- Rider opened the year with a come-from-behind, 3-2 double-overtime victory over Wagner on Aug. 23. Nikki Arrington scored the first two goals of her collegiate career and Russell added the golden goal and an assist. For their efforts, Arrington and Russell were named MAAC Offensive Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively.
- Russell added her second goal of the year against St. Francis Brooklyn, while Niamh Cashin scored the game-winning goal, a game after contributing an assist against Wagner.
- Pascuet distributed a pair of assists on the Broncs' two goals against St. Francis Brooklyn for her 15^th and 16^th career assists, moving her into fifth all-time at Rider.
- Dees and Rodrigues picked up their first collegiate assists on Russell's golden goal against Wagner.  
- With consecutive shutouts against St. Francis Brooklyn and Fairleigh Dickinson, Carbonell was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 2.
- The Broncs were picked fifth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, matching their position in the 2018 standings.
- Pascuet and Cashin were named to the Preseason All-MAAC Teams. Pascuet is a three-time All-MAAC selection, earning First Team honors last year. Cashin was also named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team as a freshman last year.
- Kaitlyn Siciliano and Soares were selected captains for this season by their teammates.