Sunday, November 6, 2022
No. 1 Rider Broncs (13-5, 6-1 NEC) vs. No. 3 Fairfield Stags (11-8, 5-2 NEC)
Location:  Staten Island, NY
Time: 12 p.m.
Live Broadcast: ESPN3 / NEC Front Row
Live Stats:  WagnerAthletics.com
 
What You Need To Know
- Sunday's championship game will be simulcast live on ESPN3 and NEC Front Row.
- 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 23-straight years after qualifying for the NEC Tournament this season.
- The Broncs finished the regular season at 6-1 in NEC play, earning a share of the NEC Regular season title. The Broncs earned the one-seed in the NEC Tournament by virtue of a head-to-head win over Wagner. The Broncs claimed the NEC Regular Season Championship for the ninth time under head coach Lori Hussong.
- Rider enters Sunday's game on a 10-game winning streak, second-longest active streak in the nation.
- The Broncs advanced to the NEC Championship Game with a 2-0 victory over Saint Francis in the first semifinal game Friday. Fairfield defeated Wagner 2-1 on the other side of the bracket.
- Rider's roster features players from six different countries, Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, and the United States.
- Rider earned a 3-1 win over no. 25 American on Oct. 2. It was the Broncs' first-ever win over a ranked opponent.
- Kaitlyn Tomas (Campbellville, Ontario/Appleby College) leads the NEC in both save percentage (.800) and goals against average (1.08). She has been named NEC Defensive Player of the Week four times, including last week, and NEC Prime performer seven times this season. Tomas was named NEC Defensive Player of the Year and NEC Goalkeeper of the Year along with being a First-Team All-NEC honoree.
- Indy Zoontjens (Hilversum, Netherlands/Alberdingk Thijm College) had her 13-game point scoring streak snapped in the NEC Tournament game last time out. The NEC Rookie of the Year and First-Team All-NEC forward is up to 11 goals and an NEC-leading 12 assists on the season. Zoontjens 12 assists are the most ever by a Rider freshman.
- Valeria Perales (Madrid, Spain/IES Mirasierra) has been a force in her freshman campaign. She leads all freshman and ranks sixth among all players nationally with 19 goals and 1.00 goals per game. She also ranks among the leaders in the NEC with eight assists. She has three times been named NEC Offensive Player of the Week, and four times been chosen as NEC Rookie of the Week. She earned First-Team All-NEC honors as announced by the conference Wednesday. Perales' 19 goals are the most ever by a Rider freshman.
- Perales scored the game-winning goal in Rider's semifinal victory over Saint Francis.
- Sierra Giuliano (Franklinville, NJ/Delsea Regional) earned First-Team All-NEC honors at midfield. It marks her third-straight year earning All-NEC honors.
- Kiki van Ommeren (Amsterdam, Netherlands/Montessori Lyceum Amsterdam), Maeve Riehman (Norristown, PA/Archbishop Carroll), and Lyric Scott (Union, NJ/Union) were all named to the All-NEC Second-Team.
- Semra Said (Mannheim, Germany/Feudenheim Gymnasium Mannheim) scored her first career game-winning goal with the first tally at LIU. She is now up to nine goals on the season after scoring Friday.
- The Broncs rank fourth in the country in penalty corners drawn per game. Rider averages 8.68 per contest.
- Rider is out-shooting its opponents 286-179 on the year. The Broncs outshot Saint Francis 16-6 Friday.
- The Broncs lead the all-time series 18-11. The Broncs defeated Fairfield 3-1 on Ben Cohen Field when these teams met during the regular season.
- The Stags and Broncs have combined for all three championships since the NEC began sponsoring the sport again before the 2019 season. Fairfield won in 2019 and 2021, with the Broncs claiming the title during the 2020-21 season.
- Rider is 2-2 all-time against Fairfield in the NEC Tournament with wins over Fairfield in both 2004 and 2005. Fairfield knocked the Broncs out of the tournament during each of their championship runs in 2019 and 2021.
- Rider is 7-6 all-time in NEC Championship games.
- Rider is 9-2 while playing as the one-seed in the NEC Tournament. The Broncs have won the NEC Championship in each of their last four appearances as the one seed.
- Fairfield's Nora Amme was named the NEC Player of the Year after posting seven goals and 10 assists during the regular season. The graduate student assisted on Fairfield's first goal against Wagner.
- The winner of Sunday's game earns an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. The winning team will find out their NCAA Tournament opponent in a selection show Sunday night at 10 p.m.