Rider overtake 2025 win total, 3-1-1 to start the 2026 season

By Joshua Yuhas

Rider men’s soccer opened their new season with a 1-0 road victory against James Madison University, a 2-0 home victory over Howard University, a 1-2 loss at Fairleigh Dickinson University, a 3-2 victory over NJIT and a 0-0 draw against Saint Joseph’s University on Sept. 8.

A road split and home dominance

Beginning the fresh campaign against the James Madison Dukes on Aug. 20, the Broncs survived four early shots in the opening 11 minutes but a pair of corners flipped the momentum in Rider’s favor.

Pressure by the Broncs produced a turnover, where junior forward Chimeka Azurunwa knocked it toward junior forward Emmanuel Dan-Adokiene, who poked the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 Rider lead.

Attacks settled down until the final seconds of the half when graduate student goalkeeper Marius Helias moved up in the box to contest the Dukes’ attacker.

Helias made himself big when going one-on-one with the attacker and making the save and earning the #2 spot on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays list.

The Broncs would hold on for the 1-0 shutout victory on the road with Helias’ four saves, earning him the Metro Defensive Player of the Week honor.

Rider then returned home to Ben Cohen Field on Aug. 28 against the Howard Bison, where the Broncs dominated the shot total 26-6.

An unassisted goal for Arunzunwa and then a Dan-Adokiene score assisted by junior defender Carter Schmitz led Rider to a dominant 2-0 victory.

“We’ve only been together maybe a month now, but we’re continuing to gel and get better with each other in the combinations and everything,” Arunzunwa said.

With two shutouts to start the year, Head Coach Chad Duernberger was extremely supportive of the form Helias has opened the season with.

“I just think he’s grown so much as a goalkeeper, and he’s playing with a lot of confidence right now,” Duernberger said.

On Aug. 31, the Broncs traveled to Teaneck, New Jersey to face the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, trading shots to open the match.

In the 24th minute, the Knights scored and held the Broncs without a shot until senior forward Patrick Rojek equalized the game at 1-1.

A penalty kick awarded to the Knights in the second half produced the game winning score, as each of Rider’s attempts were stopped, handing the Broncs their first loss of the season.

‘Tell me what you guys are gonna be like’

The Broncs began a two-game home stretch with redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Tim Devine making his first start in net for Rider in a matchup against the NJIT Highlanders on Sept. 4.

The Highlanders scored within the opening minutes of the match, then added a second goal later in the half, leading the shot battle 9-5 over Rider.

“There’s gonna be a time in the second half where we’re down on the road and our seasons on the line in conference play,” Duernberger said. “Here’s a great opportunity to tell me what you guys are gonna be like for that moment.”

A halftime speech not as much on tactics, but rather mentality, lit a spark in the Broncs with senior defender Ryan Vaubel scoring the first and Rojek scoring off a strong play and assist by sophomore midfielder Drew Heil to tie the match at two.

Starting on a ball hit up the field by Devine, freshman midfielder Gavin Faracchio collected the pass yards outside of the box and sent a screamer into the top of the net to set off total pandemonium at Ben Cohen Field for his first collegiate goal.

“It’s just going out there and putting in big challenges and getting the job done. And the guys  have my back, and I got their back. So the second  half was a different story,” Devine said.

After trailing 2-0 at halftime, the Rider Broncs prevailed to take the 3-2 victory against NJIT.

Closing out their home stretch, Rider took on the Saint Joseph’s Hawks on Sept. 8.

Devine got put to work early with two saves in the first minute, then the Broncs fired three shots in return.

With an evenly-matched first half, both sides were lockstepped into halftime.

When play resumed, Rider tossed two shots before Devine survived a Hawks onslaught.

The Broncs pushed the pace as the match came to a close, just narrowly missing a chance in the final minute, ending the match in a 0-0 draw.

Rider will return to the road on Saturday for a matchup with LaSalle University on Sept. 12.