LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Rider University senior forward Zaki Alibou (Meknes, Morocco/Meknes) has been named MAAC Offensive Player of the Year, the league office today announced. In addition, Alibou was joined on the All-MAAC First Team by Sergio Aguinaga (Madrid, Spain/Antonio Dominguez Ortiz), while Adel Al-Masude (Brussels, Belgium) and Guillaume Veinante (Bayonne, France/Faculte des métier de Rennes) earned MAAC All-Rookie Team honors.

Alibou becomes Rider's first-ever MAAC Offensive Player of the Year. Prior to the inception of separate offensive and defensive awards in 2003, Craig Wicken '99 earned MAAC Player of the Year in 1997 and 1998. Alibou has scored a team-best 10 goals and added five assists this season, including six goals and two assists in MAAC play. He scored twice at Quinnipiac on Oct. 6, before scoring once each against Niagara (Oct. 9), Marist (Oct. 13), Fairfield (Oct. 20) and Canisius (Oct. 23). He also added assists against Saint Peter's (Oct. 16) and Iona (Oct. 27). In non-league play, he scored once each against NJIT (Aug. 30), Central Connecticut (Sept. 2), La Salle (Sept. 11) and Stony Brook (Sept. 14), while dishing out three assists in a win over 2020-21 NCAA Qualifier Fordham (Sept. 22). He was named MAAC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 11.

Aguinaga has enjoyed his finest offensive season in five years with the Broncs in 2021, scoring four goals and contributing a team-best eight assists. His six assists in MAAC play are second only to Saint Peter's Jamie Davis, who had seven. He scored goals in three-straight league games, while also contributing an assist in two of them as the Broncs went 2-0-1 with a tie against Saint Peter's and wins over Fairfield and Canisius.

Al-Masude has been a key member of the Broncs' midfield, contributing four goals and four assists. He got the Broncs' comeback from a two-goal deficit vs. Saint Peter's started on Oct. 16, scoring off a free kick. He also added an assist at Quinnipiac (Oct. 6) and two more at Canisius (Oct. 23). Al-Masude scored twice against Fordham (Sept. 22), one more against Central Connecticut (Sept. 2) and assisted on a goal against Stony Brook (Sept. 14). He's played 90 minutes or more five times this season. He was named MAAC Rookie of the Week twice – on Sept. 27 and Oct. 25.

Veinante was the Broncs' starting goalkeeper for the first six games of conference play before suffering an injury. He's played in 10 games this season, including nine starts, posting a 2.01 goals-against average and a .537 saves percentage. He made a season-high five saves at Marist and earned wins over Stony Brook, Fordham, Quinnipiac, Niagara and Fairfield.   

The Broncs return to action Thursday, when they play host to sixth-seeded Fairfield. Stay posted to GoBroncs.com for kickoff time and broadcast information.