Friday, October 7, 2022
Rider Broncs (5-5, 0-1 NEC) vs. Fairfield Stags (4-6, 1-0 NEC)
Location:  Lawrenceville, NJ
Time: 7p.m.
Live Broadcast: ESPN3
Live Stats: GoBroncs.com
 
What You Need To Know
- Friday's game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
- Friday's game is the Broncs' annual Play for Cathy game in memory of its beloved team mentor Cathy Carter Romero, Rider's former Director of Publications, who passed away in January of 2015 after a courageous 13-year battle against breast cancer.
- The Broncs were picked to finish third in the NEC Preseason Coaches Poll. Rider finished fourth in the regular season a year ago, and held a 1-0 lead over top-seeded Fairfield in the NEC Tournament before ultimately falling 2-1.
- Rider has made the postseason 22-straight years.
- Rider's roster features players from six different countries, Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, and the United States.
- Rider is coming off a 3-1 win over no. 25 American last time out. It was the Broncs' first-ever win over a ranked opponent.
- Valeria Perales (Madrid, Spain/IES Mirasierra) has been a force in her freshman campaign. She leads all freshman and ranks fourth among all players nationally with 11 goals and 1.10 goals per game. She has twice been named NEC Offensive Player of the Week, and three times been chosen as NEC Rookie of the Week.
- Kaitlyn Tomas (Campbellville, Ontario/Appleby College) leads the NEC in both save percentage (.758) and goals against average (1.53). She has been named NEC Defensive Player of the Week once an NEC Prime performer four times this season.
- Indy Zoontjens (Hilversum, Netherlands/Alberdingk Thijm College) has scored a point in five-straight games including a goal in Rider's win over American. The freshman is up to five goals on the season.
- The Broncs rank fourth in the country in penalty corners drawn per game. Rider averages 7.80 per contest.
- Rider is out-shooting its opponents 130-110 on the year, firing more shots than their opponents in seven of ten games.
- The Broncs lead the all-time series against Fairfield 17-11, but the Stags took both meetings last year. Fairfield and Rider have combined to win all three NEC Championships since the sport was reconstructed in 2019.
- The Stags are 4-6 this season, but have played one of the toughest schedules in the conference, including games against ranked foes #24 Miami (OH) and #4 Louisville. The Stags have won two straight, including their NEC opener against Sacred Heart.
- Julianna Kratz leads the Stags offense with four goals on the season. Nora Amme scored twice in Fairfield's win over Sacred Heart last time out.