Broncs drop pair of home games to mark worst season start

By Samantha Clark

Rider lacrosse added two more losses to its season when the Broncs fell in their home matchups against Monmouth University, 17-8, and Lehigh University, 19-11, marking the program’s worst start since its establishment at the university in 2024. 

Hawks swooped in

The Broncs opened play against Monmouth on March 4 with a series of turnovers and missed shots. Although one was on goal from sophomore defender Hannah Kozik, the Hawk in goal saved it from making contact with the net. 

Multiple turnovers from both sides followed, until graduate student attacker Kayleigh Colleary picked up the loose ball, allowing her to attempt a goal, but was once again saved by Monmouth’s goalie. 

Monmouth made the first goal of the game after nine minutes of scoreless play, but Rider quickly responded with a goal from graduate student draw specialist Marissa Ross less than a minute later.

After a turnover from the Broncs, the Hawks picked up another goal after just 30 seconds, breaking the 1-1 tie and setting Rider back by one goal.

Shot attempts from Ross and sophomore attacker Brynn Merklinger followed, but the Broncs struggled to get one in the goal. 

In just over a minute, Monmouth hit three back-to-back goals, widening the gap to 5-1, until junior attacker Maggie Hance put one away with a free position goal, ending the first quarter, down 5-2. 

Rider went goalless for almost the entirety of the second quarter, allowing Monmouth to widen the gap to 11-2. Two on-goal attempts by Ross were made early on, but multiple turnovers from the Broncs dug their hole through the 15 minutes of play. 

In the final nine seconds, Kozik assisted Hance to finally score, picking up her tenth goal of the season to head into the third trailing, 11-3.

To open the third quarter, sophomore goalie Avery May saved the first three shots attempted by the Hawks. The Broncs found more success on the other end of the field with goals from junior midfielder Marybeth Smith and Colleary. 

The Hawks picked up a few more before heading into the fourth, putting the score at 14-5, the Broncs falling more behind.

The final quarter opened with an almost immediate Monmouth goal, and they continued by picking up two more. Five shots were attempted by Rider, until Colleary netted her tenth of the season. 

The Broncs continued with two more from sophomore midfielder Taylor Santoro and Colleary to end the matchup down, 17-8.

Fast start, tough finish

The matchup against Lehigh on March 7 began with two goals from the Mountain Hawks within a little over a minute, putting the Broncs down early into play. Rider quickly bounced back, though, with a goal from Smith.

Shots from both sides followed, with the Broncs adding one after a free position from Ross, Hance doing the same less than a minute later and Merklinger picking up the third undefended goal in the following minute and a half. 

To tie the matchup at 5-5, Kozik assisted freshman midfielder Madi Mooney’s goal, followed by goals from Smith and Ross to finish the first quarter up, 7-6.

 The second quarter did not bode as well for the Broncs, as they went goalless for the entire 15 minutes. Shots were attempted by Colleary, Ross, Hance and sophomore midfielder Madi Eollo, but none were successful.

Despite heavy defense from senior goalie Jamie Kubach, the Mountain Hawks were able to cash in three goals, the Broncs heading into the second half down, 10-7.

The third quarter found the Broncs in an even deeper mess, as Lehigh continued to widen the gap on the scoreboard. 

Smith hit a free position shot to pick up an easy goal, but after Lehigh added four more, the damage was done. The Broncs headed into the final 15 minutes of play, trailing 14-8.

Kozik opened the fourth by gaining a free position opportunity, netting an almost immediate goal. Ross followed with another, assisted by Colleary.

The Mountain Hawks added four more until Kozik shot another, picking up the Broncs’ last of the game, ending play down, 19-11. 

Despite the loss, Kubach showed immense defensive pressure and saved a total of six goals in the final quarter, marking her 400th career save and her 300th as a Bronc. 

Rider looks to pick up a win when they head on their first New York road trip, where they will face Columbia University on March 11 and Marist University on March 21, their first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opponent of the season.