Broncs scoreless in five straight, last in MAAC

By Samantha Clark and Joshua Yuhas

Rider women’s soccer recorded their fifth consecutive scoreless games, drawing 0-0 at Mount St. Mary’s University on Oct. 1, and suffering a loss at home against Merrimack University on Oct. 4, falling 0-4. 

Evenly matched runs

Rider took control of the game early with the Ferrie sisters firing the opening three shots of the game. Ava, the junior forward, launched the first two and Tess, the sophomore forward, shot the other.

Freshman defender Ella Baumgardt then found a chance from inside the box, but the Mountaineers grabbed the ball before Tess Ferrie could reach it. 

A minute later, freshman forward Lauren Black nearly gave the Broncs their first score since Sept. 14, but was once again blocked by Mount St. Mary’s. 

The Broncs totaled six shots in their five-minute barrage to start the match, but could not get one by. 

The Mount, however, returned the favor, taking their first shot of the game in the seventh minute and adding five more shots up to the 23-minute mark. 

The Broncs’ defense stayed strong with freshman goalkeeper Ashley Moore tallying two saves to keep it tied at the half.

Black provided an early scoring chance for the Broncs to start the second half, but was knocked away by a Mountaineer. 

Moore demonstrated her defensive prowess in net as well, leaping up to deny a 72nd minute strike.

Junior forward Noa Menzing curled a shot to the top right corner, which was later lifted over the net by Mount St. Mary’s. 

Sophomore midfielder Ava DeGeorge provided a near perfect cross into the box, but celebrations came to a halt when a late offside flag was raised.

The Mount worked a final attack in the 87th minute, but Moore was able to make the save and preserve a scoreless night, securing her fifth shutout of the season. 

“The opposition defenders and goalkeepers have however been able to prevent us from scoring,” Head Coach Drayson Hounsome said. “These moments affect momentum and, as a team, we need to be able to manage those moments so they don’t affect the flow of the game.”

Rider closed the night with 13 shots, five on goal, each outranking their opponent by one. 

Scoring drought continues

The Broncs headed back home to host the Merrimack Warriors for their sixth game in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play. 

The game opened with a Warrior foul, opening the door for Tess Ferrie, but her shot at the top of the net was saved by Merrimack. 

The Warriors continued to attempt three shots in the next four minutes, with two far left and one successfully blocked by Moore.

Rider gained five corner kick opportunities in the first ten minutes of the matchup, applying steady pressure to Merrimack’s strong defensive team, though the score remained 0-0.

Ava Ferrie and Black attempted back-to-back goals, but with both flying far from the net, they posed no threat to the Warrior keeper.

Moore tallied four more saves for the Broncs before Merrimack overcame the standstill in the 35th minute, taking the Broncs 0-1 in the first.

The second half opened with a mere-immediate set of fouls on junior midfielder Isis Ovares, Ava and Tess Ferrie, and a Merrimack forward.

Moore secured her sixth save of the game in the 65th minute, not allowing a goal for 26 minutes of play.

A far left Merrimack goal, followed by a yellow card on Ovares, gave the Warriors access to their next shot of the game, gaining two over the Broncs. 

Junior forward Taylor Mays fired the ball to the bottom left corner of the net, unfortunately finding a Warrior, resulting in a team save for blue and gold.

 Merrimack went 0-8 on their next set of shots, two of them protected by Moore, until one slipped into the net, sending Rider down 0-3. 

Moore saved two more shots in the final five minutes of the match, reaching her new career high of 10 saves, just one more from her previous record on Sept. 27.

“It was definitely a high-pressure game, but I just stayed focused on what I could control,” Moore said. “As a keeper, you can’t think too far ahead, you just stay focused on the game and any situation that comes to you.”

The final Warrior goal was achieved with under a minute left, sending the Broncs into another shutout loss of 0-4, their first loss to Merrimack in program history.

The Broncs inch closer to their second year in a row without an entrance to the quarterfinals, a feat they have not faced since the 2011-2012 seasons. 

Rider women’s soccer team looks to end their drought in New Rochelle, New York, where they will face the Iona University Gaels on Oct. 8.