Thursday, August 25, 2022
Rider Broncs (0-0-0) vs. Seton Hall Pirates (0-0-0)
Location: South Orange, NJ – Owen T. Carroll Field
Kickoff: 6:56 p.m.
Live Video: FloSports
Live Stats: SHUPirates.com

What You Need To Know
- The Rider University men's soccer team opens the 2022 season Thursday at Seton Hall. The game will be broadcast on Flo Sports ($29.99/month or $149.88/year subscription required).
- The Broncs were picked second in the MAAC by the league's coaches, a year after reaching the MAAC Championship Game for the fifth time in the last seven seasons last year. The Broncs erased a two-goal deficit in the title game at top-seeded Marist and played the Red Foxes to a tie before Marist advanced on PK's.
- Graduate forward Zaki Alibou, the 2021 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year, has been tabbed MAAC Preseason Player of the Year. Alibou led the Broncs with 10 goals and five assists a year ago and is listed on SoccerWire.com's Forwards to Watch for this season.
- Also back for the Broncs from the All-MAAC Teams last season are All-Rookie Team selections Adel Al Masude and Guillaume Veinante. Al Masude contributed four goals and four assists in his first season with the Broncs, while Veinante started nine of his 10 games played a year ago.
- The Broncs return 61 percent of their scoring and seven of 11 starters from a year ago. In addition to Alibou (10 goals) and Al Masude (4), Lenny Cidolit (3) and Regis Dulck (2) also scored multiple goals last season.
- The Broncs have qualified for the MAAC Championships in nine-straight seasons. Rider won MAAC Championships in 1997, 1998, 2015, 2016 and 2018, while finishing as runner up in 2004, 2017 and 2021.
- The Broncs and Pirates will meet for the 28^th time, with Rider holding a 16-9-2 lead in the all-time series. The Broncs have won the last three meetings, including two in South Orange, most recently in the 2017 season.
- Seton Hall was picked 10^th of 11 teams in the Big East Preseason Poll. After going 4-0-2 in non-conference play a year ago, the Pirates posted a 2-7-1 mark during the grueling Big East slate.
- The Pirates return their goals, assists and points leader in Johannes Pex, who had five goals and five assists last year. JP Marin is also back, following a two-goal, four-assist campaign, while Mans Saebbo and Luca Dahn scored three goals apiece. Denis Kelmendi matched Pex's five assists, while Andrea Borg had four.
- Seton Hall must replace former All-Big East goalkeeper Andreas Nota. Hannes Ronnholmen saw action in four games, including three starts last season, posting a 1.71 goals-against average and a .739 saves percentage.