LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University field hockey team was dominant Friday night, defeating Merrimack, 7-0, on Ben Cohen Field. The Broncs improve to 8-6 overall on the season and 4-1 in NEC play, while the Warriors fall to 0-12 on the year and 0-5 in league games.
 
Rider wasted no time getting on the board, scoring just over a minute into the game when Valeria Perales (Madrid, Spain/IES Mirasierra) got the ball in the center of the circle. She made a pass to Olivia Machiavelli (Madrid, Spain/International School Sek el Castillo), who fired a shot that found the back of the cage giving the Broncs the early lead.
 
Just over five minutes into the game, the Broncs extended the lead off the penalty corner. Lyric Scott (Union, NJ/Union) would deflect a shot from Paulie Thiele (Pullach, Germany/Otfried Preussler Gymnasium Pullach) past the Warrior goalie to extend the lead to 2-0. Then just 19 seconds later, Scott would find Perales on the right side, who found a hole with the shot from almost no angle making the score 3-0.
 
Late in the second quarter, Thiele made the entry into the circle, then made the pass to Machiavelli, who scored her second of the game.
 
The game remained 4-0 into the fourth quarter when Perales saw her shot early quarter saved, but Semra Said (Mannheim, Germany/Feudenheim Gymnasium Mannheim) put home the rebound. Just over a minute later, Machiavelli dribbled down the right side before ripping a shot into the net for her third of the game.
 
The Broncs would close out scoring midway through the fourth when Sam Connelly (Havertown, PA/Cardinal O'Hara) played a ball toward the net. A scramble in front of the cage ensued where Jamie Haas (Burlington, NJ/Florence Township Memorial) deflected the ball toward Liv Cox (Conestoga, PA/Penn Manor), who pushed the ball past the goal line to produce the final score.
 
Quotes & Notes
"We just talked about playing the way that we practiced all week. We had a really great week of practice, focused on communicating, and just moving the ball really well. Every single person that went in today just gave it their all, and that's all we ask of them every day. It was a big team effort." – Head Coach Alicia Govannicci
 
"I just center myself with my teammates. We remember what our goal is and what we're doing it for. Knowing our purpose and getting it done." – Senior Midfielder Lyric Scott
 
"It was really just about our team coming together and being so supportive. It really makes it easy to play for each other, and just bring up the intensity."
 
"Scoring early allows us to control the game going forward and set our own pace, so we're just playing our hockey." – Graduate Forward Katie Wuerstle
 
- Rider extends its lead in the all-time series to 6-0.
- Prior to the game, the team honored its outgoing seniors, Scott and Katie Wuerstle (Schwenksville, PA/Perkiomen[Kent St.]).
- Jade Regnart (Cape Town, South Africa/Fairmont) got the start in net, playing 45 minutes and making two saves in the win.
- Moira Geiger (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield) made a save in 15 minutes to preserve the shutout.
- Machiavelli's goals give her an NEC-leading 13 in her freshman campaign.
- Scott's goal is her third of the year and seventh of her career.
- Perales' goal is her seventh of the season and 35^th of her career.
- Said scores her second of the season and 12^th of her career.
- Cox scores her second career goal after also scoring last season against the Warriors.

Broncs By The Numbers
- Rider outshot Merrimack 29-3, including a 19-3 advantage in shots on goal.
- The Broncs earned 12 corners to three for the Warriors.
 
Up Next
- The Broncs visit Sacred Heart Sunday for a 1:30 p.m. contest.