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Momo Diop Celebration Saint Joseph's
Matthew Richman
2
Winner Rider RID (7-4-0, 1-1-0)
1
Merrimack MER (1-9-0, 0-2-0)
Winner
Rider RID
(7-4-0, 1-1-0)
2
Final
1
Merrimack MER
(1-9-0, 0-2-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Rider RID 1 1 2
Merrimack MER 1 0 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Men's Soccer Earns Comeback Road Victory at Merrimack, 2-1

Da Silva, Diop score, Salama stops PK

NORTH ANDOVER, MA – The Rider University men's soccer team earned a come-from-behind, 2-1 road victory at Merrimack Saturday. With the win, the Broncs improve to 7-4-0 (1-1-0 MAAC), while the Warriors fall to 1-9-0 (0-2-0 MAAC).  

For the second-straight MAAC contest, a Broncs opponent went down near the edge of the 18-yard box and was awarded a PK. The Warriors took the early lead as Samuel Biven went left on the try in 31' to beat Adam Salama ((Ramle, Israel/Orthodox [Ottawa Univ.]). The Broncs would draw even prior to halftime with a free kick into the box pinballing around before Theo Da Silva (Sao Paulo, Brazil/University of Rio Grande) knocked it out of mid air across the mouth of goal from right to left.

Rider took the lead in 52' as Momo Diop (Thies, Senegal/Prive Serigne Touba) sent a free kick from 25 yards out off the right post and in for the 2-1 advantage. Merrimack looked to even the score in 78', with Biven being awarded his second PK of the game after a handball inside the box. But this time, Biven went right and Salama guessed correctly for the save.

Quotes & Notes
"I'm happy to get three points on the road. It wasn't pretty. However, I thought our pressure closing up the ball, our fight for 50/50 moments and our repress moments were much better in the second half. Sometimes you have to grind out results and that was us today." - Rider Head Coach Chad Duernberger

- Rider won the first-ever meeting between the Broncs and Warriors. Merrimack is in its first year in the MAAC following its first five years in Division I in the Northeast Conference.   
- Salama made his lone save of the game on the second PK. The Broncs defense did not allow a shot on goal in the run of play, with the only two Warrior shots on goal coming from the spot.
- Salama, Cole Sotack (Doylestown, PA /Central Bucks East [Rutgers]), Jack McGeechan (Allendale, NJ/Northern Highlands Regional), Martin Chladek (Prague, Czech Republic/Gymnazium Voderadska [Montevallo]), Diop, Ezra Punselie (Nieuw-Vennep, Netherlands/Zaanlands Lyceum), Da Silva, Andrew Erickson (San Antonio, TX/International School of the Americas [Kentucky]) and Max Schrader (Cherry Hill, NJ/Scholar Athletes Leadership Academy) each played all 90 minutes.

Broncs By The Numbers
- Diop scored his team-leading sixth goal of the year, while also taking over the team lead in points with 13.
- Da Silva scored for the third time this season. With his two assists, he's now got eight points on the year.
- Rider took an 18-8 edge in shots, including a 6-2 edge in shots on goal. The only two Merrimack shots on goal came off penalty kicks.
- Both teams took two corner kicks.  
- Both teams were cautioned once.

Up Next
- The Broncs return to MAAC action Saturday, Oct. 12, when they play host to Quinnipiac. Kickoff from Ben Cohen Field is scheduled for 4 p.m. on ESPN+.

 
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