STATEN ISLAND, NY – The Rider University field hockey team claimed their eighth NEC Championship in program history, defeating Fairfield 2-1 in overtime on Valeria Perales' (Madrid, Spain/IES Mirasierra) game-winning goal Sunday afternoon. With the win, the Broncs claim the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament and will enter the NCAA Tournament with a 15-5 record. The Stags close out their season at 11-9.
 
The offenses came out scoring fast and furious on the penalty corner. Fairfield opened the scoring just over four minutes into the game, when a blocked shot fell to the stick of Julianna Kratz, who scored to put Fairfield up, 1-0.
 
Rider countered less than a minute later on a corner of its own. The Broncs inserted to Semra Said (Mannheim, Germany/Feudenheim Gymnasium Mannheim), who made a pass to Indy Zoontjens (Hilversum, Netherlands/Alberdingk Thijm College). Zoontjens fired a shot that was deflected by a Fairfield defender into the cage to even the game at 1-1.
 
Fairfield's best scoring opportunity in regulation came just before the end of the first half. The Stags got a corner with under 30 seconds remaining in the half, but Kaitlyn Tomas (Campbellville, Ontario/Appleby College) made a save before the defense cleared the line to end the half.
 
A pair of corners early in the third for Fairfield resulted in two more shots that Tomas stoned to keep the game even. In the fourth, the Broncs had their best shot in regulation with a pair of corners, but both Rider shots were kept out of the net.
 
The Broncs were in control for the entirety of overtime. An early corner opportunity saw the initial Rider shot by Sierra Giuliano (Franklinville, NJ/Delsea Regional) saved before she ripped the rebound shot off the crossbar. Rider did not have to wait long for their next opportunity as less than a minute later, Maeve Riehman (Norristown, PA/Archbishop Carroll) passed down the right side to Lyric Scott (Union, NJ/Union). Scott deked around the first defender in the circle, then delivered a perfect centering pass that Perales one-timed home to give the Broncs the title.

Quotes & Notes
"I think our team played with a lot of heart. That's been the motto of our season this year. I think we've worked tremendously hard to get to where we are today. I'm just so proud of every single one of them on the team. It's a great feeling for them."
 
"It makes a huge difference and having Sierra out for five minutes makes a huge difference, too. We just tried to say, 'let's just lay back a little bit, run the clock off a little bit and let's get to even up and then start attacking."– Head Coach Lori Hussong
 
"We just waited until the moment. We just stayed to get this opportunity to, at the end, make the goal."
"I was just holding composed. And then the ball came to me and I just shot it in." – Freshman Forward Valeria Perales
 
"Get the ball in the goal. Just score first because it was still intense, I felt like, in the first seconds. But we fought really hard. That's why we won." – Freshman Forward Indy Zoontjens
 
- Rider leads the all-time series over Fairfield 19-11. The Broncs get revenge for last season, when Fairfield swept both meetings, taking both games this season.
- The game mirrored the 2021 NEC Tournament meeting where Fairfield was the no. 1 seed, fell behind 1-0, then came back to win 2-1.
- Rider has won 11-straight games.
- The Broncs are 8-6 all-time in NEC Championship games.
- Rider is 10-2 all-time as the one-seed in the NEC Tournament.
- Tomas made four saves to earn the win on her way to being named the NEC Tournament MVP.
- Pearles, Scott, and Zoontjens joined Tomas on the NEC All-Tournament Team.
- Perales' goal is her 20^th of the season, extending her Rider freshman record. The total ranks fourth in a single season in program history, and is just one off of the record of 21, achieved first by Kelly Hall in 1984, then tied by Christina Ang in 2004, and by Megan Pisani in 2009. Her 48 points, also most ever by a Rider freshman, rank fifth in program history and is just two shy of the record of 50 set by Virginia Egusquiza in 2011.

Broncs By The Numbers
- Rider outshot Fairfield 10-8, including a 7-5 edge in shots on goal.
- Rider earned five corners, while the Stags earned eight.
- Zoontjens' goal is her 12^th of the season
- Said's assist is her second of the season.
- Scott's assist is her third of the year.
 
Up Next
- The Broncs will find out their NCAA Tournament opponent during the NCAA Selection show Sunday night, which will stream on NCAA.com at 10 p.m.