LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Ailis Martin (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) scored the equalizer in the 46^th minute, but the third-seeded Rider University women’s soccer team fell to No. 6 Niagara, 2-1, in the MAAC Championship Quarterfinals Sunday evening on Ben Cohen Field. With the loss, the Broncs conclude their season at 8-6-4, while the Purple Eagles (9-7-2) move on to face top-seeded Monmouth in Thursday’s semifinals.

The Purple Eagles opened the scoring in the 35^th minute, as Mackenzie Mix sent a through ball from the midfield to lead Annie Ibey into the left side of the 18-yard box. Ibey then crossed in front to Kelsey Araujo for the score from close range.

Trailing 1-0 at the half, the Broncs needed just 33 seconds in the second half to equalize. Lindsey Maslow (Hanover, MA/Hanover) got to the end line past her defender before crossing to Martin, who played it on one touch from 10 yards out to the right Niagara goalkeeper Sabrina Locas.

But Niagara scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 69^th minute. Djeynaba Thiam slipped a through ball from the top of the 18-yard box to set up Araujo one-on-one with Rider goalkeeper Carmen Carbonell (Valencia, Spain/Guadalaviar School) and Araujo finished for her second goal of the day and her team-leading sixth of the year.   

Quotes & Notes

“I thought we gave it a good effort. On another night, we could win that game, like when we played them previously, we won, 5-0. We lost 2-1 tonight. Sometimes that’s just the nature of the game. I thought we obviously gifted them the first goal. And then we had some good opportunities, scored a good goal. And then they caught us on a bit of a breakaway to score that second goal. Then we couldn’t get an equalizer. They shut things down well. That’s just how the game flows sometimes. We beat them four weeks ago. They beat us today.”  – Rider Head Coach Drayson Hounsome

- The two teams were squaring off for the second-straight season in the league quarterfinals. Niagara has taken a pair of wins by 2-1 margins.  
- Niagara now leads the all-time series with Rider, 14-10-2.
- The Broncs were playing in the MAAC Championships for the seventh-straight year.
- Carbonell, Valeria Pascuet (Bunuel, Navarra, Spain/San Fermin Ikastola), Maslow, Camryn Dees (Pickerington, OH/Pickerington H.S. North), Ailis Martin (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac), Teresa Richardson (Las Vegas, NV/Bishop Gorman), Cameron Santers (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills) and Niamh Cashin (Nottingham, England/All Saints Academy) each played all 90 minutes.
 

Broncs By The Numbers

- The goal was Martin’s third of the year.
- Maslow’s assist was her first point as a Bronc.
- Carbonell made two saves in net for the Broncs.  
- Rider took a 14-9 edge in shots. However, Niagara took a 4-3 advantage in shots on goal.     

- Both teams took one corner kick.

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