HAMILTON, NY – The Rider University field hockey team got the Alicia Govannicci era off on the right foot, topping Central Michigan, 4-3, on a game-winning goal by Ang Borisow (Harleysville, PA/Souderton) with under two minutes remaining Saturday afternoon. The game was the season opener for the Broncs, while the Chippewas fall to 1-1.
 
The game-winning sequence for the Broncs began with a penalty corner. Valeria Perales (Madrid, Spain/IES Mirasierra) saw her shot get saved, but Borisow banged home the rebound and the Broncs secured the victory.
 
The Broncs jumped out to an early lead. Less than five minutes into the game, Willemijn Ephraim (Amsterdam, The Netherlands/Vossius Gymnasium) scored in the first game of her career, putting Rider in front. Just five minutes later Ephraim would again find the back of the net off a penalty corner, getting the assist from Semra Said (Mannheim, Germany/Feudenheim Gymnasium Mannheim).
 
The Chippewas would settle in, controlling the flow of the majority of the second quarter before scoring twice in the third to even the game at 2-2 with 15 minutes to play.
 
Less than two minutes into the fourth quarter Carli Ciocco (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East[App State]) looked to play hero, untying the game with the graduate student's first goal as a Bronc, but a Central Michigan goal with 2:50 to play retied the game and set up Borisow's heroics.

Quotes & Notes
"It was a hard fought battle and this team never gave up. A lot of our young players rose to the challenge, and the leadership on the field helped give us that final push in the end. I'm proud of this group and their effort today" -Head Coach Alicia Govannicci 

- Rider now leads the all-time series 2-0, after also defeating the Chippewas in 2009.
- Rider has won its season-opener in four-straight seasons.
- Carlee Fulton (West Chester, PA/West Chester East) made the start in goal and played 45 minutes, making two saves and allowing one goal to earn the win.
- Brooke Golbeski (Jamison, PA/Central Bucks West) saw 15 minutes in net, allowing two goals and making a save.
- Kiera Guckavan (Middletown, PA/Middletown Area), Said, Perales, Megan Normile (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt), and Alyssa Hoffman (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) played all 60 minutes for the Broncs.
- Borisow, Kate Mahmud (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown West), Ephraim, and Ciocco were in the starting lineup for their Rider debuts.
- Anna Capelli (West Chester, PA/West Chester East) and Emma Bonshak (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) made their Bronc debuts off the bench.

Broncs By The Numbers
- The Broncs out-shot Central Michigan 21-10, including a 13-6 advantage in shots on goal.
- Rider earned 13 corners, to just eight for the Chippewas.
- Ciocco's goal is the eighth of her career after scoring seven goals during her time at App State.
 
Up Next
- The Broncs remain in Hamilton for a game against the host, Colgate, Sunday at 3 p.m.