Saturday, October 9, 2021
Rider Broncs (4-4-1, 1-1-0 MAAC) vs. Niagara Purple Eagles (3-6-0, 1-1-0 MAAC)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ – Ben Cohen Field
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
Live Video: ESPN3
Live Stats: GoBroncs.com

What You Need To Know
- The Rider University men's soccer team looks for a second-straight win and its fourth in the last five games, when it welcomes Niagara to Ben Cohen Field Saturday. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
- The Broncs are 4-4-1 (1-1-0 MAAC) so far this season, with wins over Central Connecticut, Stony Brook, Fordham and Quinnipiac, a tie at NJIT and losses to Villanova, Saint Francis (Pa.), La Salle and Monmouth.
- The Broncs opened MAAC play with a 1-0 double-overtime heartbreaker at Monmouth on Sept. 29, before bouncing back with a convincing 4-2 win at MAAC preseason favorite Quinnipiac on Wednesday.  
- Zaki Alibou scored his team-leading fifth and sixth goals of the year at Quinnipiac, while Sergio Aguinaga dished out three assists, giving him a team-leading five on the season. Regis Dulck and Francisco Gomez Olano also scored in the win, with Adel Al-Masude contributing an assist.
- The four-goal output was the Broncs' third of the year and their fourth game in which they've scored at least three goals. Rider has won all four of its games this year in which it's scored at least three goals.
- Adel Al-Masude scored twice in the Broncs' 4-3 win over 2020-21 NCAA Qualifier Fordham on Sept. 22. For his effort, he was named MAAC Rookie of the Week.
- Alibou (6 goals, 15 points), (3 goals, 8 points) and Aguinaga (1 goal, 5 assists) are the Broncs' scoring leaders. Gomez Olano and Dulck also had two goals apiece.
- Pablo Gatinois started four of the first six games in net this season, posting a 2.20 goals-against average and a .400 saves percentage. Guillaume Veinante has since served as the Broncs' starter, posting a 1.53 GAA and .556 saves percentage in six games played.
- Niagara is 3-6-0 (1-1-0 MAAC), with wins over Binghamton, St. Bonaventure and last time out against Manhattan.
- Jelldrik Dallmann leads Niagara with four goals and eight points, while Nuukele Gboe has added two goals and an assist. Herman Aalberg is next on the team with a goal and two assists.
- Josh Savoni and Nick Burke have split time in goal this season, with each keeper getting exactly 405 minutes in net. Burke got the start and the win last time out against Manhattan and has posted a 2.67 goals-against average and a .636 saves percentage. Savoni has compiled a 1.78 GAA and .724 saves percentage.
- Rider owns a 12-8-3 edge in the all-time series with Niagara. The Broncs had won five-straight meetings with the Purple Eagles prior to a 2-1 loss in overtime in 2019.  
- Justin Ruffino scored what proved to be the game-winning goal and added an assist in the win over Stony Brook. Lenny Cidolit and Zaki Alibou also scored in the win, while Adel Al-Masude and Jeremy Peterson also contributed assists.
- The Broncs were picked fourth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Rider has qualified for the MAAC Championships in each of the last eight seasons, including four MAAC title game appearances and three MAAC Championships in that span.
- Gomez Olano was named to the Preseason All-MAAC Team. He followed up a two-goal, three-assist performance in 17 games in his first season at Rider in 2019 with a three-assist effort in just five games last Spring.
- The Broncs also return graduate student forward Pablo DeCastro, who's scored 27 goals and registered 61 points over the last four seasons. A two-time All-MAAC Second Team selection, DeCastro scored the game-winning goal in the 2018 MAAC Championship Game at Quinnipiac.
- Gatinois has won 20 games in his four seasons at Rider, compiling 14 clean sheets. His next shutout would tie him for the most in program history with Chip Maruca.
- Rider returned nearly all of its scoring from a year ago, with only Guillaume Vacter's one goal not returning. Vacter transferred to the University of Connecticut.