LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Makenzie Rodrigues (Seattle, WA/Forest Ridge) and Anna Barkey (Parker, CO/Legend [UTRGV]) scored second-half goals as the Rider University women's soccer team came from behind to defeat Siena, 2-1, in the regular-season finale Wednesday night on Ben Cohen Field. With the win, the Broncs (8-7-2, 5-5-0 MAAC) clinched the No. 4 seed in the MAAC Championships and a quarterfinal home game Sunday against fifth-seeded Canisius. Stay tuned to GoBroncs.com for a kickoff time still to be determined. Siena ends its season at 2-11-5 (1-6-3 MAAC) with the loss.

The Saints got on the board first just over six minutes into the game, as Cora Keohane scored off the rebound of Annie Bagnell's saved shot. The score would remain 1-0 Siena through 45 minutes.

Rider wasted little time scoring in the second half, as Rodrigues took the ball from the midfield stripe all the way to the top of the 18-yard box and ripped a shot low inside the right post to beat Siena goalkeeper Angela Fini for the equalizer at the 47:30 mark. Exactly 30 minutes of game time later, the Broncs scored the game-winning goal, as Barkey headed in a Karagh Tait (Swadlincote, Derbyshire, England/Derbyshire) corner kick at 77:30.

Quotes and Notes
"Tremendous effort. Three games ago we were on the outside looking in and we just put together three back-to-back wins. Siena has a really strong team. They obviously won the MAAC two years ago and our fifth-year seniors, coming in, no one had ever beaten them before. So, we knew this was going to be a tough game. And even though they were technically eliminated from the playoffs, sometimes those are the hardest teams to beat. We didn't play great in the first half, but the team responded at halftime and put in a solid second-half performance." – Rider Head Coach Drayson Hounsome

"Great effort overall. I think after Gabby went down, we all were playing for Gabby. We played for all the people on the sidelines as well. And we were playing for a home game in the playoffs. So there was a lot on the line and a lot to play for, so I think that's why everyone stepped up." – Rider senior forward Makenzie Rodrigues

- Rider trimmed Siena's lead in the all-time series to 12-11-5. Rider's last win over Siena prior to tonight came in 2016, with the Saints posting a 4-0-1 record in five meetings since.
- The Broncs are the No. 4 seed for in the MAAC Championships for the second time in the last three seasons. Rider also took the No. 4 seed in Spring 2021 and won their quarterfinal meeting with Manhattan that season.   
- Ellie Sciancalepore (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) made nine saves to earn the win in net for Rider.   
- Sciancalepore, Lindsey Maslow (Hanover, MA/Hanover), Genevieve Ryan (Auckland, New Zealand/Mount Albert Grammar School), Camryn Dees (Pickerington, OH/Pickerington HS North), Tait and Olivia Smith (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) each played all 90 minutes.

Broncs By The Numbers
- Rodrigues' goal tied her for the team lead with Maslow (5). She now has 20 career goals and is tied with Tara Ballay for seventh all-time at Rider.
- The goal was Rodrigues' first since an Aug. 28 hat trick at Delaware State.
- Barkey scored her third goal in the last three games, including game-winners at Mount St. Mary's and tonight.
- Tait's assist was her second of the year and the fourth of her career.  
- Siena took an 18-16 edge in shots, including a 10-8 advantage in shots on goal.
- The Broncs took 10 corner kicks to the Saints' three.
- Both teams were cautioned once.    

Up Next
The fourth-seeded Broncs play host to No. 5 Canisius in Sunday's MAAC Quarterfinals on Ben Cohen Field. Stay tuned to GoBroncs.com for kickoff time and broadcast network.