Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Rider Broncs (4-2-3, 1-0-1 MAAC) vs. Niagara Purple Eagles (5-3-1, 1-1-0 MAAC)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ – Ben Cohen Field
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m.
Live Video – ESPN+
Live Stats – GoBroncs.com
 
What You Need To Know
- Rider continues MAAC play Wednesday afternoon, when it welcomes Niagara to Ben Cohen Field.
- Wednesday's game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
- The Broncs are 1-0-1 in MAAC play, having tied Siena on Sept. 21 and defeated Quinnipiac on Sept. 28. Rider is unbeaten through two league games for the first time since 2016, when the Broncs went 4-0 through four MAAC games.
- Carmen 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 marks the second time Carbonell has been honored, while Dees joins Hailey Russell and Makenzie 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 Sofia Soares' diving header at the goal line in the 85^th minute gave the Broncs some insurance.
- Niagara brings a 5-3-1 overall record and a 1-1-0 mark in MAAC play into Wednesday's game. The Purple Eagles opened MAAC play with a 5-1 loss at Fairfield, before evening its record with a 1-0 win over Iona.
- Surrendering five goals was uncharacteristic of the Purple Eagles, as every other game they've played this season has featured no more than two goals for either team.
- Annie Ibey leads the Purple Eagles with four goals and nine points this season, while Kelsey Araujo has chipped in with two goals and a team-high three assists. Veda Hensel has also added two goals and an assist.
- Sabrina Locas has played every minute in goal this season for Niagara, posting a 0.85 goals-against average and an .854 saves percentage.
- The Purple Eagles defeated Rider twice last season, both by 2-1 margins in Western New York, including the MAAC Quarterfinals. The two wins pushed Niagara's lead in the all-time series to 13-9-2.  
- Valeria 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.
- Makenzie 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 freshman Makenzie 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 Hailey 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.
- Valeria 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.
- Camryn Dees and Makenzie Rodrigues picked up their first collegiate assists on Russell's golden goal against Wagner.  
- With consecutive shutouts against St. Francis Brooklyn and Fairleigh Dickinson, goalkeeper Carmen 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 Sofia Soares were selected captains for this season by their teammates.
- Pascuet is the Broncs' top returning scorer, having contributed six goals and a team-best seven assists a year ago. For her career, she's totaled eight goals, 14 assists and 30 points.
- Cashin was a welcome addition to the Broncs' back line last year, contributing a goal in Rider's 1-0 win over MAAC Champion Monmouth, while assisting on the game-winner against Quinnipiac. She's also seen significant time for her native England's U19 National Team.  
- The Broncs' last line of defense is Carbonell, a two-year starter entering 2019. The junior compiled a 1.17 goals-against average and an .844 saves percentage with two shutouts last year.
- Rider Head Coach Drayson Hounsome returns for his 12^th season, entering the season having compiled 90 wins in his time at the helm.  
- Rider was 5-1-2 when scoring first last season and is 3-0-1 so far this season when scoring first.  
- 11 different Broncs scored a goal in 2018.  
- Rider welcomes eight newcomers this season in graduate student Daiana Frizon David (Quilombo, Brazil/Jurema Savi Milanez (Monroe College)) and freshmen Jordan Wilson (Sayreville, NJ/Marine Academy of Science & Technology), Lindsey Maslow (Hanover, MA/Hanover), Camryn Dees (Pickerington, OH/Pickerington H.S. North), Hailey Russell (Riverside, NJ/Riverside), Makenzie Rodrigues (Seattle, WA/Forest Ridge), Karagh Tait (Derbyshire, England/Derbyshire) and Kaitlyn Wong (Walnut, CA/Walnut).