Broncs win six straight, defeat Mercyhurst
By Rich Saile
Fresh off its fifth straight win, Rider men’s soccer traveled back home to Ben Cohen Field to host the Mercyhurst Lakers on Sept. 21. The Broncs, despite being outshot 11-6, shut out Mercyhurst 2-0 to improve to 6-2 on the season.
Early on in the game, the Broncs missed a pair of shots, including a blundered corner kick.
Early lead
Fortunately, in the 12th minute, senior midfielder Bryan Akongo was able to fire the ball above Mercyhurst’s goalkeeper off of an assist from senior back Martin Chladek, getting the first goal of the game and providing an early lead for the Broncs.
The score was Akongo’s fourth goal of the year, as he remained the team’s points leader with 12.
The Broncs’ defense forced the Lakers into several missed shots, including one in the 39th minute. Junior goalkeeper Adam Salama, the most recent recipient of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference defensive player of the week, saved a shot heading for the top-left corner of the goal. This was the closest the Lakers were to tying the game before the half.
The Lakers’ offense came out aggressively in the second half, seeking to tie the match. However, Salama saved another shot top right. The Broncs were dictating the game on their terms, forcing the Lakers to miss multiple attempts.
‘One game at a time’
In the 65th minute, junior midfielder Momo Diop set up a cross to the18-yard box to sophomore forward Patryk Rojek, where he shot it inside the left post, scoring his first goal of the season and extending the Broncs’ lead to 2-0.
The Broncs’ defense held on to win their sixth straight game.
“We don’t like to set our goal as ‘let’s win six straight games in a row.’ We just focus on getting better every day.” Head Coach Chad Duernberger said after the victory. “A win is a win. We’ll take it.”
The Broncs have won six straight games in consecutive seasons. Last year, Rider had a seven-game winning streak as it headed to the MAAC championship. The Broncs will begin MAAC play as they travel to New Rochelle, New York, to take on Iona, a rematch of last season’s MAAC championship.
