Broncs shutout both weekend opponents
By Kadie DiGiuseppe
Rider field hockey improved to 9-6 on the season this weekend after two consecutive shutouts over Merrimack, 7-0, and Sacred Heart, 3-0.
The Broncs extended their four-game win streak, making it the longest this season with just three more regular season games remaining.
Successful senior night
After the Broncs’ long roadstand, they returned to Ben Cohen Field for their senior game against their Northeastern Conference opponent, the Merrimack Warriors, on Oct. 18.
Freshman forward Olivia Machiavelli started things off on the right note, scoring an early goal with help from junior forward Valeria Perales.
Shortly after that, senior midfielder Lyric Scott tallied up her third goal of the season, assisted by freshman forward Pauli Thiele.
Not even an entire minute later, Scott went back to the goal and assisted Perales on her seventh goal of the season, giving the Broncs a 3-0 lead in the first six minutes of play.
In the second quarter, Rider captured four corners and five shot attempts before Machiavelli scored her second goal of the day, assisted by Thiele.
Starting the third quarter with a 4-0 lead, the Broncs did not let up on offense but could not get through the Warrior defense.
While the Broncs could not extend their lead in the third quarter, junior forward Semra Said joined the goal bandwagon in the fourth.
Seconds after Said’s goal, Machiavelli scored her third of the game, bringing her total to 13 for this season and obtaining her second hat trick of the season.
With her impressive performance, Machiavelli was named NEC Rookie of the Week for the fourth time this season.
Keeping on the attack, sophomore midfielder Ang Borisow initiated two corners for Rider while junior defender Megan Normile and graduate student forward Katie Wuerstle attempted and failed shots.
After, sophomore forward/midfielder Liv Cox attempted her first shot of the game and got it past the Merrimack goalkeeper, giving Rider a hefty 7-0 lead.
Machiavelli, Normile, Perales and Wuerstle all totaled up to 22 shots during the affair, while freshman goalkeeper Jade Regnart and sophomore goalkeeper Moira Geiger totaled three saves. The Broncs outshot the Warriors, 29-3, and gained nine more corners.
“It was definitely a lot of emotions, but it was so special just to be recognized for how far I’ve come in my journey. It was also great to celebrate it with Katie [Wuerstle]. She’s a transfer, but she’s been such a great leader here as an upperclassman too,” said Scott.
‘We’re really solid’
After their walk in the park against Merrimack, the Broncs hit the road again and traveled to New Haven, Connecticut, to play their sixth NEC opponent of the season.
From the jump, the Broncs could tell this game would be different from Friday’s, as the first half of play stayed scoreless for both teams.
Machiavelli, Normile, Finn and Said all attempted shots on goal but could not get anything past the Pioneers’ goalkeeper.
In the second half of play, Sacred Heart tried to score the first goal, attempting five corners and getting four shots off.
Machiavelli got a corner, which allowed Scott to score her second goal of the weekend and her fourth of the season.
Rider kept the intensity up going into the final quarter of play, which allowed Wuerstle to hop on the goal gang to get her eighth of the season.
Freshman forward Amanda Walker finished things off for the Broncs with the last goal of the game just three minutes after Wuerstle.
Rider got off 17 shots during the affair while it limited the Sacred Heart offense to only five shots on goal, all of which Regnart saved.
“It was also just two big conference games, so we still needed to focus, but it was really good all around. From defense to attack, I think we did really well. But you know, we still have some things we need to improve on, but we are definitely going in the right direction,” Scott said.
“[We must] start to clean up on those little things that we can improve on so that, going into the postseason, we will be ready, and we’re really solid,” she added.
The Broncs continue in conference play by traveling to play LIU on Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. Rider will follow with a game at La Salle University on Oct. 27 at 1 p.m. for their last road game before the playoffs.