Soccer can’t break stalemate; game ends in a tie

By Ben Smith

The Broncs endured a hard-fought battle against the defending MAAC champions, the Siena Saints (7-6-1),  Sunday afternoon. The game went into double overtime and finished in a scoreless tie for both sides.

Freshman goaltender Danielle Singson made seven saves for the Broncs, resulting in her first shutout of the season.

Head Coach Drayson Hounsome was impressed with Singson’s play.

“Danielle has been playing great,” Hounsome said. “It is fantastic that she got her first shutout.”

Hounsome was optimistic about the team’s performance throughout the afternoon.

“I thought we had the better of the chances,” Hounsome said. “We hit the cross bar and hit the post. We had a good chance at the end.”

Rider (9-4-3, 2-2-1 MAAC) is playing in a competitive conference and Hounsome is pleased with his group’s work ethic.

“So far the players are working hard while learning and improving from the mistakes that were made in previous games,” he said.

Hounsome’s goal is to win both games this weekend, and he believes that the way to do it is by dictating the pace.

“The keys to winning are to focus on play and controlling the tempo of the game,” said Hounsome.

Offense is also a big focus for Hounsome’s squad.

“Another key to winning is to create good offensive opportunities for our attacking unit,” Hounsome said.

An aspect that will contribute heavily to Rider’s success over the weekend is the firepower of the offense. Junior Abi Cottam is leading the team and MAAC in goals (13), assists (10) and points (36) thus far.

Sophomore Jennifer Meier is also playing well with eight goals and three assists. The offense produced by the two of them will prove vital this weekend. The team will also look to continue the strong goalkeeping and defensive play.

Hounsome acknowledged the hard work his players are putting in and had positive things to say about their play.

“Abi has really taken the bull by the horns the last few games and it is great for her to be recognized by the conference,” Hounsome said. “She represents how well the offensive unit played last weekend.”

The Broncs are traveling this weekend and going up against a tough pair of teams. The team is looking to carry the great defense and the momentum into its next games against Iona and Fairfield.

“The goal is to get six points from the weekend,” Hounsome said. “It will put us in a strong position going into the final weekend of the regular season.”

Singson felt the team should have beaten Siena last weekend, but looks forward to trying to get wins over the weekend.

“We’ve play well on the road,” Singson said. “We’re ready.”

Hounsome also feels good about their chances in its last few games.

“It is going to be tough,” he said. “The conference is pretty close at the moment. We’ve got four games left so we control our own destiny. I’m sure it will be a fun weekend.”