Rider suffers first loss of season at home

By Emma Geremia-Hartigan

Rider fell 14-10 to the University of Rhode Island at Ben Cohen Field, battling through a back-and-forth game that stayed competitive until the very end.

The scoring started almost immediately on the afternoon of Feb. 13 when junior attacker Maggie Hance tied the game at 1-1 early in the first quarter off a pass from graduate student attacker Kayleigh Colleary. However, the tie did not last long. 

Rhode Island strung together four straight goals in seven minutes, taking advantage of defensive gaps to build a 6-2 lead before the quarter ended.

The second quarter showed what the Broncs can do when the ball is moving quickly. Colleary opened the scoring, and sophomore attacker Brynn Merklinger followed soon after, cutting the deficit to two. 

The third quarter tested Rider as Rhode Island extended its lead with another scoring stretch, but the Broncs continued to respond quickly. Hance scored during a player advantage to shift momentum, and later added another to keep the pressure on. 

Hance finished the afternoon with five goals, consistently finding space near the cage and not cracking under pressure in tight situations.

“My teammates were giving me perfectly timed and placed feeds that complemented the cuts I was making,” Hance said.

The fourth quarter was Rider’s strongest stretch. Merklinger scored twice, including a player-advantage goal assisted by sophomore defender Hannah Kozik. 

Kozik then added one of her own later in the period, and Hance capped her five-goal day with just over three minutes left to bring the matchup to 14-10.

Even late in the game, Rider continued attacking and pushing the pace. The energy never dropped.

The game was also physical, with multiple green and yellow cards issued on both sides. Special teams opportunities played a role, and Rider capitalized on several player-advantage situations late. Even with the deficit, the energy on the field remained high through the final whistle.

The Broncs move to 1-1 on the season and return to Ben Cohen Field on Feb. 18 to host Temple University.