Baligian nets two in offensive clinic
By Carlos Toro
Field hockey’s offense continues to be the key to success as the team exploded for six goals in its lone game this past week.
Rider (7-2) defeated winless Colgate 6-1 after five different Broncs scored in the second of five straight non-conference road games.
Head Coach Lori Hussong was content with her team’s result after being shut out for the first time this season in the previous game against St. Francis.
“Our win against Colgate was a great way to rebound from last weekend’s poor performance against St. Francis,” Hussong said. “Everyone was ready to play and it was great to see so many different players contribute in helping us secure the win.”
The offensive barrage started when sophomore forward Allison Baligian scored at 16:58 into the first half to give Rider its first goal since Sept. 18.
Just under three and a half minutes later, Rider scored twice thanks to sophomore forward Shannon Hughes and junior midfielder Carlota Alsina.
Baligian continued to shine as she scored on a penalty stroke at 49:55 for her team-leading eighth goal of the season.
Freshman forward Angie Price scored her fifth goal of the year with less than 15 minutes left in the game thanks to sophomore forward Lauren Bock’s assist to give the Broncs a 5-0 lead. Colgate (0-10) would show some life in the second half, but the Broncs cruised to an easy win.
The Broncs continue their road trip with their next games against two familiar rivals, Lock Haven (8-2, 1-2 Atlantic 10) on Oct. 2 and Drexel (1-6) on Oct. 4. Hussong knew that this latest win was important to get momentum for these two road games.
“This weekend will be a challenging weekend for us and will test us to see if we are ready for conference play,” Hussong said. “Lock Haven is having a really good year so far and Drexel is traditionally a very strong program. We are looking forward to competing against them to see where we are and what we need to improve upon before conference play begins.”
