Friday, Aug. 29, 2025
Rider Broncs (0-2-0, 0-0-0 MAAC) vs. La Salle Explorers (0-1-1, 0-0-0 A-10)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ – Ben Cohen Field
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoBroncs.com

Monday, Sept. 1, 2025
Rider Broncs (0-2-0, 0-0-0 MAAC) vs. George Washington Revolutionaries (1-1-0, 0-0-0 A-10)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ – Ben Cohen Field
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoBroncs.com

What You Need To Know
- The Rider University men's soccer team plays host to a pair of Atlantic 10 foes - La Salle Friday night and George Washington Monday afternoon, both on Ben Cohen Field.
- The Broncs have fallen in their first two matches – a 5-0 road setback at Villanova to open the season and a 2-1 heartbreaker in their home opener vs. Lehigh.
- Rider outshot the Mountain Hawks, 16-6, but hit the crossbar three times.
- The Broncs have won six of the last seven meetings with La Salle, dating back to 2015. Most recently, the Broncs have taken 3-1 victories in 2023 and 2024. Rider leads the all-time series, 14-12-1.
- Rider and George Washington met for the first time since 2010 last September with the Broncs immediately jumping on the Revolutionaries for a Bryan Akongo goal just 20 seconds into the match. Rider rolled to a 4-0 victory in Foggy Bottom. George Washington leads the series, 4-3-1.
- La Salle was picked 10^th and George Washington was 13^th in the 13-team A-10 Preseason Poll.
- La Salle played Lehigh to a 1-1 season-opening tie, before falling, 4-0, at nationally-ranked No. 16 West Virginia.
- George Washington fell to Old Dominion in its season opener before bouncing back with a 3-1 win over Binghamton.
- Lucas Kelly has scored La Salle's lone goal thus far. Drew Blackwell contributed the assist. Tino Kneis has played all 180 minutes in goal, stopping 14 shots, allowing five goals.
- Louis Crofts has scored twice for GW, with Babacar Fall adding a goal. Omar Alsabagh, Nico Medina, Connor Russ and Joel Russ have pitched in with one assist each. Tom Macauley has played all 180 minutes in goal for the Revolutionaries, posting a 1.50 goals against average and a .750 saves percentage.
- Gio Polizzi scored the Broncs' goal vs. Lehigh. Lovro Kostanjsek's strong individual effort got the Broncs into the 18-yard box, before crossing to Ezra Punselie, whose initial shot was deflected wide. Polizzi was ready at the right post for the rebound finish.
- Ben Collins got the start in goal for the Broncs vs. Villanova and made two saves. Yoav Arikha then started vs. Lehigh and also made two saves.
- Bobby Lucien, Leo Arndt, Lovro Kostanjsek, Xavi Csato, Ricky Joasilus and Kaelan Debbage made their first starts in their debuts for the Broncs at Villanova. Gio Polizzi, Ryan Vaubel, Drew Heil and Landon Lackner also came off the bench to make their first appearances for the Broncs.    
- The Broncs have won the 2023 MAAC Tournament Championship and earned a share of the 2024 MAAC Regular Season Championship in Head Coach Chad Duernberger's two seasons leading Rider. Rider's 26 wins over the last two seasons rank ninth in NCAA Division I after he inherited a three-win team from 2022.
- Rider was picked second in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, behind only Iona. The Broncs and Gaels have met in each of the last two MAAC Championship Games, with Rider taking the 2023 contest and Iona earning an overtime victory in 2024.
- Senior midfielder Theo Da Silva was named MAAC Preseason Co-Player of the Year after earning All-MAAC Second Team honors in his first year with the Broncs last year. Da Silva started 16 of 17 games played, scored three goals and dished out five assists, tying for the team lead and good for fifth in the MAAC.
- Sophomore defender Max Schrader joined Da Silva on the Preseason All-MAAC Team after starting all 19 matches played on the Broncs' back line in his freshman campaign, playing 90 or more minutes 16 times and no fewer than 76 minutes in any match. He played a total of 1,688 minutes on the season, serving in an invaluable role on a Rider defense that allowed just 14 goals, posted a 0.69 goals-against average (3rd – NCAA) and 10 shutouts (.500 shutout percentage – 4th – NCAA), all league bests.
- Rider owns a 5-3 lead in the all-time series with Villanova. However, the Wildcats have won the last two meetings, most recently taking a 2-0 win in the 2021 season opener. Rider's last win over the Wildcats came on a Christian Flath golden goal with two seconds remaining in the first overtime in 2016.
- The Broncs have had eight All-MAAC selections in each of the last two seasons, establishing and repeating the program record. Lost from last year's squad are MAAC Golden Boot recipient Momo Diop (transferred to Marshall) and MAAC Golden Glove honoree Adam Salama (transferred to San Diego), along with five other graduated seniors. Da Silva, who earned Second Team honors, is the lone returner.
- 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.