Lawrenceville, N.J. (October 7, 2007)- Christine Reina produced a late tally, and Alicia DeFino tallied her fifth straight shutout as Manhattan improved to 1-0-1 in MAAC play with a 1-0 win at Rider this afternoon.
The Broncs held a 6-4 advantage in shots over the first 45 minutes, with each goalkeeper recording two saves.
Manhattan picked up the offensive pressure in the second stanza, recording eight shots to Rider's one. At the 71:27 mark, Reina took a cross from Caroline Morse and buried a shot to the back of the net to provide the game's lone goal.
DeFino was not tested in the second half and ended the day with two saves, while extending her school-record stretch of scoreless minutes to 505:52.
Manhattan has posted a 3-0-2 record over its current five game unbeaten streak.
"I felt it was a game of two halves," commented head coach Sean Driscoll. "Rider was clearly the stronger side in the first half and we were vastly improved in the second. Our back four and keeper are to be credited again for another clean sheet and keeping the game scoreless during our first half struggles."
"It was a very physical and intense battle between the two teams that was ultimately decided by a single defensive mistake," continued Driscoll. "Rider has had some great results this year and this was clearly a big win for us and hopefully something we can build upon for the upcoming weeks. I am very proud of our kids and our perseverance on the road this past weekend. It was a terrific start to our MAAC season."
The Lady Jaspers are next in action this coming weekend, hosting Canisius and Niagara in MAAC contests at Gaelic Park. Manhattan and the Golden Griffs will kick off at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, October 12. The Lady Jaspers and Purple Eagles will kick off at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 14.
