NEW HAVEN, CT – The Rider University field hockey team won its fourth-straight game, defeating Sacred Heart, 3-0. The Broncs improve to 9-6 overall on the season and 5-1 in NEC play, while the Pioneers fall to 5-10 on the year and 2-4 in league games.
 
Both sides struggled to find anything offensively in the first half with Sacred Heart firing just a single shot and the Broncs responding with just two as the teams went into the break tied 0-0.
 
Late in the third quarter, Rider finally broke through. The Broncs earned a penalty corner and moved the ball to Valeria Perales (Madrid, Spain/IES Mirasierra) who ripped a shot that Lyric Scott (Union, NJ/Union) tipped in to the back of the cage giving Rider the lead.
 
It would not remain 1-0 very long, as just over three minutes into the fourth quarter Rider's offense exploded. First, Katie Wuerstle (Schwenksville, PA/Perkiomen[Kent St.]) entered the circle and played a ball to the front of the goal where Perales made a diving one-timer that got behind the Pioneer goalie to extend the lead to 2-0.
 
It would be just two minutes later when Paulie Thiele (Pullach, Germany/Otfried Preussler Gymnasium Pullach) dribbled down the right side in transition and put a pass across the goal mouth that made its way to the far post where Amanda Walker was waiting to fire home a goal, making it 3-0.
 
The Pioneers got their best chance to score on a penalty corner less than a minute later on a penalty corner, but Anna Finn (Windsor, NY/Windsor Central) made a defensive save, preserving the shutout for the Broncs.
 
Quotes & Notes
- Rider extends its lead in the all-time series to 28-8.
- Jade Regnart (Cape Town, South Africa/Fairmont) got the start in net, playing all 60 minutes and making four saves in the shutout victory.
- Ang Borisow (Harleysville, PA/Souderton), Kate Mahmud (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown West), Perales, Megan Normile (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt), Scott, Olivia Machiavelli (Madrid, Spain/International School Sek el Castillo), Finn, and Emma Bonshak (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) played all 60 minutes in the field.
- Scott's goal is her fourth of the year and eighth of her career.
- Perales' goal is her eighth of the season and 36^th of her career.
- Walker's goal is the second of the season for the freshman.

Broncs By The Numbers
- Rider outshot Sacred Heart 17-11, including an 8-5 advantage in shots on goal.
- The Pioneers earned eight corners to just four for the Broncs.
 
Up Next
- The Broncs are back in action Friday with a trip to LIU for a 1 p.m. game.