LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Graduate student Emily Curteis (Llanfyllin, Wales/Liverpool John Moores) scored the equalizer in the 90^th minute and senior Sam Picinich (North Bellmore, NY/Mepham) added the game-winning goal from beyond the midfield stripe in overtime as the Rider University women’s soccer team stunned Fairleigh Dickinson, 2-1, Monday night at Ben Cohen Field. With the win, the Broncs improve to 2-0-1, while the Knights slip to 1-3-0.

FDU wasted little time getting on the board as Sofia Albertsson scored on a header from point-blank range off assists from Lea Egner and Viktorija Miseljic in the 8^th minute.

The Broncs began to get momentum in the second half, with several very good scoring chances, but could not slip one past FDU goalkeeper Amanda Fitzgerald until Curteis’ tally in the 90^th minute. Sofia Soares (Sao Paolo, Brazil/St. Nicholas) played the ball down the right sideline to Kourtney Cunningham (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) who crossed ahead to Curteis near the top of the 18-yard box, before the graduate student beat the keeper 1-v-1 inside the left post for the equalizer with 57 seconds remaining.

In overtime, the Broncs continued to generate chances, with Cunningham firing two shots in the first two minutes, but they were saved and went off the crossbar, respectively. Cunningham sent another shot just high in the 98^th minute, before Picinich sent a pass ahead toward Cunningham at the top of the box in the 99^th minute. The keeper came out to challenge, but the ball bounced high over her head and into the net for the golden goal.

Quotes and Notes

“Meghan got the foul, so she played it to me and all I thought about was trying to get it forward and hoping for the best. I think Kourtney distracted the goalie. The goalie made some great saves. They’re a tough team and I really think that was a good team win.”

“It shows a lot about our character. We’ve been really pushing for winning at the end and being the team on top at the end. So it just proves that we’re in it for the full 90 minutes. Overtime is tough and they’re a great, competitive team, so I think that really shows our character.” – Rider Senior Sam Picinich

"In the first half, they caused us some problems and we gave up an early goal. In the second half, we got into it and I thought we created enough chances to have scored. In my head, I was thinking it was just a matter of time. That was actually a really nice goal that we scored. Sofia won a really critical header, Kourtney got on the end of it and played a great ball and Emily had a clinical finish, which is something we’ve seen her do over in England."

“When you score in the dying seconds of a game, you hope that you’re going to be out to finish the game in overtime and the other team is kind of deflated. Fortunately there was a good play on our part and maybe an unfortunate error on their part and we were able to capitalize on it.”  - Rider Head Coach Drayson Hounsome  

- Rider’s win gives the Broncs a 6-5-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Knights had won four of the last five.

- The Broncs stand at 2-0-1, marking the first time since 2012 that they’ve started the season undefeated through three games. The 2012 squad won its first four.
- Rider has trailed in all three of its games so far this season, but has rallied to equalize in all three and win the last two.  

- Picinich figured in the scoring of a game-winner for the second-straight game after assisting on Cunningham’s golden goal at Wagner.    

- Curteis’ goal was the first of her Rider career.
- After missing all of 2017 due to injury, Soares registered her first point since Sept. 17, 2016, against Quinnipiac, when she scored the game-winning goal.
- Rider nearly tied the game in the 34^th minute, but Meghan McCabe’s (Massapequa Park, NY/Massapequa) header was cleared off the line by an FDU back.  

Broncs By The Numbers
- Picinich and Cunningham now lead the Broncs with two goals and an assist each.
- Cunningham’s assist gives her 41 points for her career, good for ninth in program history. Next on the points list is current Rider assistant coach Tara Ballay (45).
- Picinich now has five goals and four assists for her career, good for 14 points.
- Sophomore goalkeeper Carmen Carbonell (Valencia, Spain/Guadalaviar School) made seven saves to earn the victory in goal.
- Rider outshot FDU, 17-15, overall and 9-8 in shots on goal.   
- Rider also enjoyed a 5-3 edge in corner kicks.