Thursday, November 7, 2024
No. 2 Rider Broncs (10-8, 6-2 NEC) vs. No. 3 Fairfield Stags (10-8, 6-2 NEC)
Location:  Staten Island, NY
Time: 2:00 PM
Live Stats:  WagnerAthletics.com
Broadcast: ESPN+
 
What You Need To Know
- The Broncs take on Fairfield in the second of two semifinal contests hosted by Wagner in the NEC Tournament. The winner will advance to Saturday's NEC Championship Game, also hosted by the Seahawks.
- Friday's game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
- The Broncs are seeking their ninth NEC Tournament Championship.
- The Broncs were picked to finish fourth in the NEC Preseason Coaches Poll. Rider finished in a three-way tie for third in the NEC last season under then first-year head coach Alicia Govannicci. Govannicci was named NEC Coach of the Year by the league's office Wednesday afternoon as announced with the league's all-conference teams and major award winners.
- The Broncs finished the regular season tied with Fairfield at 6-2 in NEC play, but earned the number two seed by virtue of Rider's head-to-head win during the regular season.
- Olivia Machiavelli (Madrid, Spain/International School Sek el Castillo) and Lyric Scott (Union, NJ/Union) led Rider as major award winners with Machiavelli being named NEC Offensive Player and Rookie of the Year and Scott earning NEC Midfielder of the Year honors. The duo was joined on the All-NEC First Team by Valeria Perales (Madrid, Spain/IES Mirasierra) and Megan Normile (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt).
- The Broncs are currently third in the country, earning 9.17 corners per contest.
- Rider also leads the NEC this season at 2.78 goals per game, ranking 13^th in the country.
-  Normile earned NEC Offensive Player of the Week honors after scoring four goals and adding an assist in the opening week of the season. The junior also added three goals last week to earn her second weekly honor of the season. Machiavelli has been named NEC Rookie of the Week five times this season, and earned her first NEC Offensive Player of the Week honor after scoring three goals, including two in a win over Saint Francis. Perales also earned NEC Offensive Player of the Week honors once this season.
- Normile is third in the NEC this season with three defensive saves. Machiavelli leads Rider's high-powered offense and the NEC with 14 goals and 32 points. Perales is third and Normile is fifth in the NEC with ten and nine goals, respectively. Perales leads the NEC at 2.00 points per game.
- Jade Regnart (Cape Town, South Africa/Fairmont) has taken control of the goalie position. The freshman has earned four shutout victories in conference play and combined for a fifth. In NEC action, Regnart leads all goalies in save percentage (.848) and is second in goals against average (0.90).
- Rider's roster features players from four different countries, Germany, South Africa, Spain, and the United States.
- Rider leads the all-time series over Wagner 3-2, with the last four meetings being split with the home team taking all four contests.
- Wagner's Saar Van Dalen has four shutouts this season between the pipes. Offensively, Cami Valor is third in the NEC with 10 goals. Floortje Leunisse and Charlotte Muller have eight goals each for the Seahawks as well.