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Men's Soccer MAAC Semifinal Postgame Celebration 2024
Peter G. Borg (Rider University)
0
Siena SIE (7-6-6, 4-2-3)
1
Winner Rider RID (14-4-1, 6-1-1)
Siena SIE
(7-6-6, 4-2-3)
0
Final
1
Rider RID
(14-4-1, 6-1-1)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Siena SIE 0 0 0
Rider RID 0 1 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Men's Soccer Gets Past Siena Into MAAC Championship Game

Diop scores league-leading 10th goal in 1-0 MAAC Semifinal win over Siena

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Momo Diop (Thies, Senegal/Prive Serigne Touba) scored off a free kick in the 55th minute as the Rider University men's soccer team defeated Siena, 1-0, in the MAAC Championship Semifinals Thursday night on Ben Cohen Field. With the win, the Broncs advance to the MAAC Championship Game for the second-straight year and the 10th time in 28 years in the league.

Following a scoreless first half, William Baker (New York, NY/The Calhoun School [Rutgers]) was pulled down by the jersey from behind 25 yards from the goal line for a yellow card and a Rider free kick in the 55th minute. Diop lined it up and curled a shot around the Siena wall and low, inside the right post for the game winner.

The Rider defense did the rest, posting its third-straight shutout and its 10th of the year to advance to the title game, to be played Sunday at 1 p.m. at top-seeded Iona, with whom Rider tied for the MAAC Regular Season Championship this season and also played in the 2023 Championship Game.

Quotes & Notes
(On Momo Diop) "He continues to deliver for this team. He knows that we need him in big moments and he just continues to shine in the moment, even when this whole scout is about Momo. He still finds ways to be successful. He's a special player and a special kid."

"Thankful. Really thankful for where we're at right now. We've got great support here. From admin and the players are all bought in on what we're trying to do. We all know, in our sport, a bad bounce or a bad situation and you lose. You outshoot someone, 20-1 and you lose. So, very thankful and grateful we're finding the back of the net and shutouts keep racking up. So really pleased." – Rider Head Coach Chad Duernberger

- Rider's 14 wins are currently most in NCAA Division I this season.
- The Broncs lead the all-time series with Siena, 17-12-6. Rider is 8-1-1 against Siena over the last 10 meetings, including wins in each of the last four and two MAAC semifinal victories.
- The Broncs are 5-1-1 all-time against Siena in the MAAC Championships. Following a tie in the 2016 semifinals, Rider advanced on PK's and has advanced past the Saints in 6-of-7 playoff opportunities. In last season's semifinals, third-seeded Rider defeated the second-seeded Saints, 2-0, in Loudonville.
- Rider is now 24-10-3 all-time in the MAAC Championships and has now reached the championship game 10 times in 28 years in the league.
- The Broncs have now qualified for the MAAC Championships in 10 of the last 11 seasons with a one-year hiatus in 2022. Rider won MAAC Championships in 1997, 1998, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2023, while finishing as runner up in 2004 and 2017. Rider won the MAAC Championship in 2023 and played in the MAAC Championship Game in 2021, with the Broncs playing top-seeded Marist to a 2-2 draw as the No. 5 seed, before the Red Foxes advanced on PK's.
- Rider has played in the MAAC Championship Game nine times, posting a 6-2-1 record and advancing to the NCAA Tournament six times.
- The Broncs' six MAAC Championships are second-most in conference history and most by a current member (Loyola (Md.) – 12). Loyola had won eight-straight MAAC titles prior to the Broncs joining the league in 1997, at which point Rider snapped the Greyhounds' streak and won consecutive championships (1997, 1998). The Broncs' six titles edge Fairfield's five for most among current members.
- Adam Salama (Ramle, Israel/Orthodox [Ottawa Univ.]) made two saves in preserve the clean sheet.
- Salama has contributed to 10 Rider clean sheets this season – a program record – with nine being credited to Salama alone and the 10th a combined clean sheet with Diesel Fiore (Las Vegas, NV/Bishop Gorman [Eastern Univ.]).
- 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, Theo Da Silva (Sao Paulo, Brazil/University of Rio Grande), 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 league-leading 10th goal of the season, breaking a tie with Iona's Sergio Gonzalez Fernandez.
- The two points also push Diop's MAAC-leading total to 24, three ahead of Gonzalez Fernandez's 21.
- Rider took a 9-6 edge in shots, including a 3-2 advantage in shots on goal.
- Siena took four corner kicks. Rider did not take a single corner.
- Siena was cautioned twice to Rider's one yellow card.  

Up Next
The Broncs return to action Sunday, when they travel to Iona for the MAAC Championship Game. Kickoff from Mazzella Field is scheduled for 1 p.m. on ESPN+. 
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