Sunday, November 10, 2019
NEC Championship Game
No. 2 Rider Broncs (13-6, 5-1 NEC) vs. No. 1 Fairfield Stags (17-2, 6-0 NEC)
Location: Staten Island, NY (Wagner Field Hockey Complex)
Start Time: 12:00 pm
Live Stats: NortheastConference.org
Live Video: NEC FrontRow
Twitter Updates: @BroncsFH
 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The No. 2 Rider Broncs will face the top-seeded Fairfield Stags in the 2019 NEC Field Hockey Championship on Sunday, November 10, at noon.
 
- Rider advanced to the NEC title game thanks to knocking off No. 3 seed LIU, 3-0, on Friday afternoon. In the victory, Tess Coorens and Tess van Ommeren each registered a goal and an assist for the Broncs, while Lena Vandam posted her third shutout of the season.  
 
- Fairfield earned its spot in the conference championship game thanks to defeating fourth-seeded Sacred Heart, 2-1. The Stags broke a 1-1 tie with the Pioneers in the 53rd minute as Emma Matlich converted a penalty stroke.
 
- Rider will be playing in its 12th NEC title game and the Broncs are seeking their seventh NEC Championship. Rider is 6-5 all-time in the NEC Championship game. The 13 wins this fall are the most for the Broncs since the squad racked up 15 wins in 2012.
 
- On Thursday evening, sophomore Julia Divorra was tabbed as the NEC Offensive Player of the Year. It marked the third time in program history that the Broncs have had the NEC Offensive Player of the Year and it was also the fourth year in a row that Rider had a major award winner.
 
- Divorra, Carly Brosious, Tess Coorens and Tess van Ommeren all were named to the All-NEC First Team on Thursday, while junior Kaitlyn Flemming earned Second Team All-NEC distinction.
 
- Three Rider players have earned weekly awards from the NEC this season. Julia Divorra has been named the NEC Offensive Player of the Week twice, Carly Brosious has been named the NEC Offensive Player of the Week once and goalkeeper Lena Vandam has once been honored as the NEC Defensive Player of the Week.
 
- Two Broncs have recorded hat tricks this season. Julia Divorra had one on September 15 against Colgate at home and Carly Brosious scored three markers in a victory over Towson on September 27.
 
- Divorra is enjoying a breakout campaign. When she scores this year the Broncs are 12-0. She leads the NEC in both goals (15) and points (36). Her 15 goals are the most by a Rider player since Sandra Penas had 20 in 2012.
 
- Carly Brosious has been a threat on the offensive end all year for Rider. This season she has set new career-highs in goals (12), assists (9) and points (33). She has three games with two or more goals this fall and two separate games with two or more assists.
 
- Julia Divorra and Carly Brosious have combined for 69 points this season. That is the most by a Bronc duo since Sandra Penas and Gabby Burgo combined for 74 points during the 2012 campaign.
 
- In the cage, Lena Vandam has played every minute of action this season. She is 13-6 with 76 saves, a .760 save percentage and a 1.23 goals-against average. Vandam has recorded seven or more saves in a game five times this year. She recorded her third shutout of the season and the 12th of her career on Friday against LIU.  
 
- The nationally-ranked Stags have won 10 straight games. No. 24 Fairfield has won back-to-back games against Rider and four of the last five meetings overall. The Broncs lead the all-time series, 16-8.
 
- Head Coach Lori Hussong is in her 20th season at the helm of the program in 2019. She has a career record of 263-135. She is the winningest coach in program history and earlier this season she became the 15th active Division I Field Hockey Head Coach with 250 or more wins.
 
- Heading into the season, the team selected Tess Coorens, Jade Freeberg, Heili Carpino and Lena Vandam as their captains for the 2019 campaign.