LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University field hockey team clinched the 2022 NEC Regular Season Championship Friday evening, defeating Merrimack 6-0 on Ben Cohen Field. The Broncs improve to 12-5 on the season, including 6-1 in NEC play. The Warriors fall to 1-16 overall and 1-6 in league play. The Broncs and Wagner each finished with identical 6-1 league records, but the Broncs defeated Wagner on Sunday to secure the tiebreaker.
 
The Broncs came out tight in the opening quarter, firing nine shots, including five on target, but could not find a way to put one in the back of the cage.
 
Midway through the second, the floodgates opened. Kiera Guckavan (Middletown, PA/Middletown Area) made the insert on the corner to Indy Zoontjens (Hilversum, Netherlands/Alberdingk Thijm College). Zoontjens fired a shot that found the cage to put Rider up 1-0. Less than three minutes later, Lyric Scott (Union, NJ/Union) drove down the right side and made a centering pass that made its way to Alyssa Hoffman (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley). Hoffman hit the one-timer to extend the lead to 2-0 entering the half.
 
Midway through the third, the Broncs took away any hope of a comeback. Hoffman made a steal in the attacking end and threw a pass to Zoontjens. Zoontjens gathered, spun around a defender and scored her second of the game. A minute later, Zoontjens found Valeria Perales (Madrid, Spain/IES Mirasierra) behind the Merrimack defense. Perales was taken down by the Warriors' goalie and awarded a stroke. Semra Said (Mannheim, Germany/Feudenheim Gymnasium Mannheim) confidently stepped up and buried the stroke to make it 4-0.
 
Just 34 seconds later, Zoontjens found herself in the circle, deking around a defender and firing a shot that was headed wide until Perales got her stick on the ball, deflecting it into the net to extend the lead to 5-0. Later in the quarter, Sierra Giuliano (Franklinville, NJ/Delsea Regional) made a long pass from the midfield to the circle where Zoontjens gathered and fired a pass to her left where Mia Frontino (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial) hit home the one-timer to complete the scoring.

Quotes & Notes
"It was harder than the score indicates. It took a huge effort to score, but once we did we got more comfortable and then just had some really beautiful plays. Indy played magnificent today, her play making, passing, and scoring is very, very special."
 
"It's always good to get the regular season title. We're peaking at the right moment and I'm very confident that we're going to do the best job we can."
 
"We're going to have to be at our best. All four teams have the potential to beat anybody at any time. It's going to be a matter of who can be the most productive and take advantage of their opportunities." – Head Coach Lori Hussong
 
"We started off a little bit nervous because we had to win this game. When the first goal went in, there was a big sigh of relief."
 
"We need to practice hard and stay focused, because we're not done yet." – Freshman Midfielder Indy Zoontjens
 
"Last year we came up short and I didn't get the opportunity to prove to everyone what our team can do and what I can do. It's been a confidence booster because I came back, and I came back stronger."
 
"We've played great competition since [losing to Saint Francis]. I think that's prepared us . We just have to believe in each other and believe in the coaches' plan, and there's no reason why we can't do it." – Senior Goalie Kaitlyn Tomas
 
- Rider leads the all-time series 4-0.
- Rider has qualified for the 23^rd-straight season. The Broncs have won the NEC regular season Championship for the 10^th-time in program history.
- Rider has won eight-straight games.
- Kaitlyn Tomas (Campbellville, Ontario/Appleby College) made three saves to earn the shutout win, her fourth shutout of the season.
- The Broncs have six shutouts this season, including four during the eight-game winning streak.
- Zoontjens has recorded a point in 12-straight games.
- Zoontjens now has 11 goals and her 10 assists are most in the NEC. Her 10 assists are 12^th-most in a single season in program history and trail just Tess van Ommeren's 11 from 2018 for most by a Rider freshman.
- Perales' goal is her 17^th of the season, most ever for a Rider freshman and eighth-most in a single season in program history. Her 42 points, also most ever by a Rider freshman, ranks ninth in program history.

Broncs By The Numbers
- Rider outshot Merrimack 27-5, including a 19-3 edge in shots on goal.
- Rider earned 16 corners, while the Warriors earned nine.
- Hoffman's goal is her first of the season.
- Said has eight goals on the year.
- Frontino scored her first goal of the season.
- Guckavan has two assists on the year.
- Scott's assist is her third of the season.
 
Up Next
- The Broncs wrap up regular-season play Sunday at Hofstra. Game time is 1 p.m.