Saturday, October 21, 2023
Rider Broncs (5-3-4, 2-2-2 MAAC) vs. Niagara Purple Eagles (2-7-3, 2-2-2 MAAC)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ – Ben Cohen Field
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoBroncs.com

What You Need To Know
- The Rider University men's soccer team resumes MAAC play when it plays host to Niagara Saturday afternoon. The two teams are deadlocked in the league standings at 2-2-2 apiece.   
- Saturday's match is Alumni Day. Rider Men's Soccer alumni in attendance will be recognized at halftime.
- Since seeing their eight-game unbeaten streak halted on Oct. 7 at Manhattan, the Broncs have gone winless in their next four (0-2-2). Most recently, the Broncs played Canisius to a 2-2 draw in Buffalo on Wednesday.
- Rider's eight-game unbeaten streak featured a 5-0-3 mark in eight matches from Aug. 28-Sept.30.  Following a season-opening 1-0 loss at Seton Hall, Rider earned wins over Saint Joseph's, Sacred Heart, Siena, La Salle and Fairfield, while drawing with NJIT, Penn and Quinnipiac.
- The Broncs are in their first year under Head Coach Chad Duernberger. Duernberger comes to Rider following five seasons as an assistant at Dartmouth. He replaces Charlie Inverso, who retired following 12 seasons at the helm, leading the Broncs to three MAAC Championships. Just seven matches into Duernberger's first year, the Broncs eclipsed their win total from 2022.
- First-year goalkeeper Adam Salama has posted a 1.17 goals-against average and a .736 saves percentage in playing all 1080 minutes so far this season. He's made 39 saves.
- Rider owns a 13-8-4 edge in the all-time series with Niagara. The Broncs are 6-1-1 vs. Niagara since a loss in 2013. The Broncs and Purple Eagles played to a 2-2 draw last October 15 in Western New York.
- Most recently, Niagara handed Manhattan its first league loss, 1-0, this past Saturday at home, before having the idle date on the schedule Wednesday.
- Felix Kogler is Niagara's goal and points leader with three goals for six points. Asher Barnes and Matheus Spina have contributed a goal and an assist apiece, while three others have scored once each and two others have one assist to their credit.
- Jamie Barry has started 11 of the Purple Eagles' 12 matches in goal, posting a 1.58 goals-against average and a .767 saves percentage. He has three shutouts.  
- The Purple Eagles were picked seventh in the MAAC Preseason Poll, one spot, but 32 points ahead of the Broncs.
- Ethan Shaw scored his third goal of the year in a 2-0 win over Fairfield on Sept. 24. Babacar Diene also scored in a 1-1 tie at Quinnipiac on Sept. 30 to tie him with Shaw for the team lead. Diene went on to score twice in a 5-3 loss to Iona to take the team lead with five goals.
- Adel Al Masude pulled into a tie for second on the team with Shaw with his third goal of the season in a 2-2 tie at Canisius. Luke Kirilenko also scored his second goal of the season against the Griffs.
- Saad Chaouki scored his first goal as a Bronc on Sept. 24 against Fairfield. Adam Salama's punt found Diene's head in the midfield and Diene played in to Chaouki in stride for a 1-v-1 opportunity.
- Chaouki earned his team-leading fourth assist of the season at Canisius, playing David Ogbonna wide before Ogbonna's cross found Al Masude in front. The assist was the first of Ogbonna's collegiate career.
- For his effort in consecutive clean sheets against Penn and Siena, Adam Salama was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 18. Salama made it consecutive honors on Sept. 25 following a 3-1 win over La Salle on Sept. 19 and a 2-0 win over Fairfield on Sept. 24.
- Six different Broncs figured in the scoring in Rider's 3-1 win over La Salle. Martin Chladek, Babacar Diene and Justin Ruffino scored goals off assists from Ethan Gregory, Zaki Alibou and Dylan Kotch as the Broncs battled back from down, 1-0, and a 1-1 tie at the half to earn the 3-1 win.
- Luke Kirilenko scored his first collegiate goal, the game-winner, in the 64^th minute of a 1-0 win over Siena on Sept. 16. Jack McGeechan and Momo Diop assisted on the play.
- Both of Ethan Shaw's goals in the 2-1 win at Sacred Heart came off Saad Chaouki assists. For their efforts, Shaw and Chaouki were named MAAC Offensive Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively on Sept. 11.
- Adel Al Masude scored the equalizer at NJIT.
- Diene and Sebastian Rojek also netted goals in the Broncs' 2-0 win over Saint Joseph's.
- Rider also returns 2021 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year Zaki Alibou following an injury-riddled 2022 campaign that saw him play just 87 minutes in two games due to injury. In 2021, he led the Broncs with 10 goals and five assists, helping Rider to the MAAC Final.
- Al Masude leads a group of four returning starters, along with Diene, Jack McGeechan and Tom Skrocki. Al Masude tied for the team lead with Lenny Cidolit at three goals and four assists last season. Diene also tied for the team lead with three goals last season, while McGeechan contributed three assists.
- The Broncs entered a period of transition in goal, with Ben Collins being the only returner to see action in net for Rider (three games off the bench in 2022) entering the season. Diesel Fiore was also on the roster last season, while Salama entered competition following a season at Ottawa University, an NAIA school in Arizona.
- Rider was picked eighth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
- The Broncs qualified for the MAAC Championships in nine-straight seasons before missing the field in 2022. Rider won MAAC Championships in 1997, 1998, 2015, 2016 and 2018, while finishing as runner up in 2004, 2017 and 2021.