Men's College Soccer
Broncs to Play Virginia in NCAA Tournament
LAWENCEVILLE, NJ—The Rider University men's soccer team, Champion of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, will play the University of Virginia in the First Round of the NCAA Championship Tournament Thursday, November 19 at 7pm.
The winner of the UVA-Rider game will play the tenth seed, the University of Maryland November 22.
“Going to the NCAA Tournament is everything we wanted to accomplish,” said Rider head coach Charlie Inverso. “It is great recognition for the University and the soccer program. We're excited.”
Rider (14-5-1) enters the NCAA Tournament on a four-game winning streak and is 9-1-1 in its last 11 games. “We have a lot of momentum right now,” said team captain Sonimi Halliday.
Virginia (9-4-3) is the defending National Champion. “We're getting one of the best teams in the country,” Inverso said. “Defending National Champions, not much more you need to say.”
Rider is one of 48 teams to advance to the NCAA Championship Tournament.
Rider is 9-2 on the road this year. “We wanted to be a better road team this year and we had a huge improvement in that area,” Inverso said.
The Broncs are led by junior forward Christian Flath of Germany, senior forward Florian Valot of France, sophomore forward Jose Aguinaga of Spain, first-year sophomore Elliott Otmani of France, senior back Sonimi Halliday of Sicklerville, NJ and senior goalkeeper Ryan Baird of Plainfield, NJ.
Flath has played in just 14 games due to injuries but the three-time First Team All-MAAC midfielder still compiled a team-high eight goals and four assists for 20 points, third most in the MAAC. If Flath had played enough games to qualify he would lead the MAAC in points per game.
Valot is a two-time First Team All-MAAC selection in his only two years in the United States, and played in the prestigious Premier Development League this past summer with the Seattle Sounders. In 15 games this year Valot has 14 points.
Aguinaga, a First Team All-MAAC selection, leads the MAAC with 23 points and ranks 16th in the nation in assists with nine.
Otmani was the MAAC Championship Tournament MVP after compiling 18 points in 17 games, including eight goals.
Halliday is a three-time All-MAAC defender, twice on the First Team, and serves as team captain. “More than anything this is Sonimi's team,” Inverso said.
Baird owns an 11-2 record this season with 61 saves and 17 goals allowed in 14 games.
Rider received an automatic bid by winning the MAAC Championship Tournament. As the second seed Rider defeated the 10th seed, Quinnipiac 3-0 in the quarterfinal round of the MAAC Tournament, and defeated the sixth seed, Siena, 3-2 in the semifinals. In the MAAC Title Game, Rider upset the top seed, #22 Monmouth 3-2 on November 9. The 11-team MAAC Tournament was held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.
The Top 16 teams will receive a First Round bye in the NCAA Championships. There will be 16 First Round games on Thursday, November 19. The 16 winners of the First Round will then take on the Top 16 teams in the Second Round November 22.
Rider won the 1997 and 1998 MAAC Championship Tournaments and advanced to the NCAA Tournament by winning a Play-In game.
Ranked 15th in the nation in 1997, Rider played Dayton, The Atlantic 10 Champion, in an NCAA Play-In game and won 3-1 in overtime at Dayton. Rider lost 1-0 to SMU in the 1997 NCAA Tournament.
In 1998 Rider beat Drexel of the then North Atlantic Conference 3-1 in the NCAA Play-In before losing to Virginia 3-0 in the NCAA Tournament.
The Third Round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament, the Sweet 16, is November 28-29, and the Quarterfinals are December 4-5.
The 2015 NCAA Men's College Cup, soccer's Final Four, is December 11-13 in Kansas City, Kansas.
This marks the second consecutive year that Rider has sent a soccer team to the NCAA tournament. The Rider women won the MAAC Championship Tournament in 2014 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, losing 1-0 to the University of Washington.
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