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Rider University

June 01, 2008

FULLERTON,
CA—The Rider baseball season came to an end in the second round of the NCAA
Regional Championship tournament, losing to Virginia Saturday night. “There are
no moral victories but I felt better about how we played today,” said Rider
head coach Barry Davis. “We bounced back after a tough
game Friday night against a quality club. The 2009 season starts tomorrow for
us.”

The
Broncs bounced back from an 11-0 loss to the fifth best team in the nation,
Regional host Cal State Fullerton, Friday night. “Overall I thought today was a
lot better day,” Davis said. “For our program to come out and compete against a
quality team said a lot.”

After 15
innings the Broncs (29-28) scored their first run of the Regional in the
seventh inning on an RBI double by freshman Mason Heyne (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock). It
was Heyne’s team-high 18th double of the season.

Freshman Steve Galella (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial)
led off the seventh inning with a single, junior Sean Olson (Vineland, N.J./St. Augustine Prep)
followed with a single and Galella scored on Heyne’s double. Olson scored on a
sacrifice fly by junior Maurice Williams (Ocean, N.J./Monmouth Regional)
to cut the lead to 4-2.

In the
bottom of the eighth inning Virginia (39-22) scored four unearned runs on three
hits and three Rider errors for the final score.

The first
two Virginia batters in the eighth reached base on errors before junior James Hayes (Sunrise, Fla./Piper) moved from
right field to pitch. A bunt single loaded the bases before another error on a
sacrifice fly made it 5-2.

Junior Jimmer Kennedy (Levittown, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep)
pitched five and two-thirds innings, threw 107 pitches, 64 for strikes, and
left the game trailing 4-0. Kennedy entered the game 10th in the
nation in least walks allowed per nine innings (9 in 78 innings) but walked a
season-high four and hit one batter, while striking out three. Kennedy walked
just three in his last 50 innings before Saturday.

Kennedy
finished the season with a 7-5 record. His career record of 17-15 is 15th
best ever at Rider.

In the
fourth inning Virginia scored three runs on four hits, including a pair of
doubles, to take a 4-0 lead.

Virginia
got on the board in the bottom of the third inning with a hit batsman, a bunt
single, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly.

Rider
senior Jon Leise (Woodbury, N.J./West Deptford) singled
to lead off the eighth inning, his 103rd career hit. Liese made an
outstanding catch on the warning track in centerfield with two runners on and
two out in the third inning, keeping the score at 1-0.

Sophomore
Matt McCollum (Tabernacle, N.J./Shawnee)
collected Rider’s first hit of the game, with two outs in the third inning, and
J. Hayes followed with his third hit of the Regional and 80th of the
season. Hayes now has 203 career hits, fourth most ever at Rider.

The game
was played in front of 1400 fans at Goodwin Field, including 65 from Rider.

May 27, 2008

Davis was an unknown in the Trenton-area when he was hired
by the Broncs to take over for the legendary Sonny Pittaro.

And that was no easy task in itself all Pittaro did was win
766 games and have the field where Davis' team now
plays named after him.

For that matter, Rider had just two baseball coaches from
1961 Pittaro and Tom Petroff, both of whom are in the
school's Hall of Fame before Davis arrived in
Lawrenceville in 2005.

A southerner who grew up in Bridgewater, Va., and coached at
George Mason, Frostburg State and Georgia Southwestern,
Davis made a name for himself in South Jersey where he won
four National Junior College titles at Gloucester County
College.

May 25, 2008

TRENTON— Rider (29-26) was 2-0 in
the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship tournament, needing one win
for its first MAAC Title and first baseball championship since winning the
Northeast Conference in 1996. Siena (30-26) was 2-1 in the tournament and
needed to beat Rider twice Saturday.

After losing the first game in
extra innings the Broncs came back to defeat the Saints and are the Metro
Atlantic Athletic Conference Baseball Champions.

Rider will now advance to one of
16 NCAA Regional tournaments. The NCAA will announce the Regional sites Sunday
evening, and the field of 64 will be announced Monday afternoon. The Regionals
begin May 30.

The Championship is Rider’s first
baseball title in the MAAC and the Broncs’ 10th baseball
championship since 1984. Rider won three Northeast Conference titles (1996,
1995, 1994) and six East Coast Conference titles (1992, 1989, 1987, 1986, 1985,
1984)

May 24, 2008

Trenton,
N.J.
– Third-seeded Siena College (30-25) forced a seventh and deciding game in the
2008 MAAC Baseball Championship with a 9-8 victory in 10 innings over
fourth-seeded Rider University (28-26) in Game Six.

Siena made its mark on the scoreboard first with two runs in the bottom of the
first inning as Moises Rivera hit a two-run homer to left field.

Rider would not go
unheard, posting one run in the top of the second, as Maurice Williams scored
after Jon Leise hit into a double play. The Broncs went on to add two
more runs to their total in the third, with James Hayes scoring on a sacrifice
fly by Sean Olson, followed by a solo home run by Mason Heyne.

The Broncs then
scored once more in the fourth, as David Hayes tagged up and raced home when
Matt McCollum flied out to right field to give his squad a 4-2 lead. With
one out and the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, Heyne walked home to
give Rider a 5-2 lead.

Rivera, however,
answered the call for Siena in the bottom of the seventh, sending a three-run
homer to left center to tie the game at 5-5.

Heyne broke the tie for Rider in the top of the ninth, as he singled up the
middle to bring pinch runner A.J. Albee across home plate. But Siena tied
it up at 6-6 in the bottom of the ninth as Jacob Willis scored on a single to
center field by Rick Seltzer.

With the bases loaded
and one out in the top of the 10th, Eric Woodrow scored one more run
for Rider as Heyne was hit by a pitch. In the next at-bat, Williams
singled to center field to plate Hayes and give the Broncs their final run of
the day.

Rivera saved the day
once again for the Saints as he tripled to left center, allowing Anthony
Giansanti and Chris Klepps to score and earn the extra-innings win.

Ryan King improved to
1-1 with the win, while Hayes was credited with the loss (3-2).

NOTE: In the second game, top of the Third, Siena just tied the game 1-1. To view live stats, click link

May 22, 2008

Trenton, N.J. – Sophomore centerfielder Matt McCollum went 2-for-3 with two runs scored to lead fourth-seeded Rider University (27-25) to a 4-3 victory over top-seeded Canisius College (40-12) in game two of the 2008 MAAC Baseball Championship at Waterfront Park.

Rider got on the board early in the first inning as Mason Heyne double to left center, bringing home Steve Galella.

Canisius tied it up in the bottom of the first as Branson Joseph scored on a single by Kevin Mahoney. The Griffs then pulled ahead, 2-1, in the third as Kevin Mailloux reached home plate on a sacrifice fly by Mahoney.

The Broncs tied it up again in the top of the fifth with McCollum crossing home plate as Sean Olson grounded out to the shortstop.

In the top of the seventh, Sean Olson hit a two RBI single up the middle to bring in Eric Woodrow and McCollum to give the Broncs a 4-2 lead.

The Griffs registered another run in the bottom of the seventh, with Alec Cabello scoring on a sacrifice fly to center field by Woodrow, to make a 4-3 game.

Mike Petrowski claimed the win and improved to 2-5 with the victory, and Jamie Hayes earned his 10th save of the year. Alex MacKenzie dropped his record to 6-3 on the mound.

Canisius will play Manhattan College in Game 3 on Friday, May 23, at 11:00 a.m. Game four between Rider and Siena College is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow.

May 21, 2008

TRENTON— Rider University juniors James Hayes (Sunrise, Fla./Piper) and Sean Olson (Vineland, N.J./St. Augustine Prep)
were named to the First Team All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference baseball
team at the Championship Awards Banquet Wednesday night, held at the KatManDu
restaurant in Trenton. Hayes was also named the MAAC Relief Pitcher of the
Year.

Hayes earned First Team All-MAAC as a utility player,
starting 31 games in right field, 11 games in centerfield and nine games at
second base, while also pitching in 18 games.

Olson earned First Team All-MAAC honors for the second time,
last year as a catcher and this year as a first baseman.

At the plate Hayes finished the regular season with a
team-high 71 hits, 48 runs scored and 33 stolen bases in 51 games, compiling a
.335 batting average. Hayes was a Second Team All-MAAC selection as a
freshman outfielder and again as a sophomore shortstop/closer.

On the mound this year Hayes is 3-1 with nine saves and an
earned run average of 2.84. Hayes has 24 career saves, a Rider record, and is
seven stolen bases shy of the Rider single season record of 40 that has stood
since 1967.

Hayes was named the New Jersey Division I Player of the Year
this season. His 48 runs scored is the most in a Rider season since 2004.
He currently ranks sixth on Rider’s career hit list with 194, needing six hits
for 200.

Olson enters the MAAC Championship tournament with 66 hits,
47 RBI and 43 runs scored in 51 games. He has a .333 batting average and a .566
slugging percentage, compiling 16 doubles and 10 home runs.

Olson started 24 games at first base and 26 behind the plate
this year and earned First Team All-New Jersey honors. His 47 runs batted in
this year is the most by a Bronc since the 2002 season. Olson enters the
MAAC Tournament with 150 career hits in 137 games.

D. Hayes was a Marketing major who graduated magna cum laude
with a 3.57 grade point average. Herman is a Business Education major with a
3.55 g.p.a., Kennedy is an Accounting major with a 3.67 g.p.a., Miller is a
Business Administration major with a 3.26 grade point average, O’Connor
graduated with a 3.43 grade point average and a degree in Accounting and
Wojnowski is a Management & Leadership major with a 3.42 grade point
average.

Rider competes in the MAAC Championship tournament at
Waterfront Park today, Thursday at 6pm against the top seed, Canisius.

Rider University is hosting the 2008 Metro Atlantic
Athletic Conference Baseball Championship tournament at Mercer County’s
Waterfront Park, home of the Trenton Thunder, May 22-24.

On Thursday, the second seed, Manhattan College (31-18-1,
19-5 MAAC), will play the third seed, Siena College (27-24, 15-8 MAAC), at
2pm. At 6pm Thursday the top seed, Canisius College (40-11, 19-5 MAAC),
will host the fourth seed, Rider University (26-25, 13-10 MAAC).

The losers from Thursday will meet Friday morning at 11am
and the winners from Thursday will play Friday at 3pm. The 11am winner will
play the 3pm loser Friday night at 7pm.

May 16, 2008

LAWRENCEVILLE—The Bronc baseball team, rained out
on Friday at Saint Peter's, has qualified for the four-team Metro Atlantic
Athletic Conference Championship Tournament that Rider University is hosting
May 22-24 at Trenton’s Waterfront Park.

The Broncs (25-24, 12-9 MAAC) have three conference
games remaining, at Saint Peter’s Saturday (doubleheader) and Monday, but can
finish no lower than fourth place after Fairfield (11-12) lost twice to
Manhattan (18-5) Thursday.

First place Canisius (18-5) split with sixth place
Niagara (10-13) Thursday, while third place Siena (15-8) swept seventh place
Marist (8-15) Thursday. They will play the third game of their series’ Friday.

The Broncs are competing in the MAAC playoffs for
the second time in the last three years. Rider was the third seed in the 2006
MAAC Tournament. In 2002 the Broncs were
the fourth seed and advanced to the MAAC Title Game. In 2001 Rider finished in second place in the MAAC regular season
and advanced to the MAAC Title game.

March 20, 2008

Excluding the glamour
sports of football and basketball, the average N.C.A.A. athletic
scholarship is nowhere near a full ride, amounting to $8,707. In sports
like baseball or track and field, the number is routinely as low as
$2,000. Even when football and basketball are included, the average is
$10,409. Tuition and room and board for N.C.A.A. institutions often
cost between $20,000 and $50,000 a year.

The chase for a scholarship
has another side that is rarely discussed. Although those athletes who
receive athletic aid are viewed as the ultimate winners, they typically
find the demands on their time, minds and bodies in college even more
taxing than the long journey to get there.

There are 6 a.m.
weight-lifting sessions, exhausting practices, team meetings, study
halls and long trips to games. Their varsity commitments often limit
the courses they can take. Athletes also share a frustrating feeling of
estrangement from the rest of the student body, which views them as the
privileged ones. In this setting, it is not uncommon for first- and
second-year athletes to relinquish their scholarships.

“Kids who
have worked their whole life trying to get a scholarship think the hard
part is over when they get the college money,” said Tim Poydenis, a
senior at Villanova receiving $3,000 a year to play baseball. “They
don’t know that it’s a whole new monster when you get here. Yes, all
the hard work paid off. And now you have to work harder.”read more

January 06, 2008

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.—Despite a game-high 13 points from senior Janele
Henderson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin), the Rider University
women’s basketball team lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game
at Iona Sunday afternoon. “I don’t think we took a step back today,”
said head coach Lynn Milligan. “We certainly didn’t take a step
forward and that’s what is disappointing.”

Henderson played all 40 minutes, adding five rebound and three
steals for the Broncs. “Janele does what she does,” Milligan said.
“We can’t ask her to do too much more and give us anymore than she is.”

Iona led 51-22 with 13 minutes left in the game before Rider (5-9,
0-3 MAAC) cut the lead to seven with a 32-10 run to trail 61-54 with
1:39 left. The seven point deficit was as close as the Broncs would
get. “We had some kids play a lot better in the second half but we had
some kids struggle,” Milligan said. “Some of them are starting to
second guess some of their abilities and we have a couple of days to
get that worked out. We’ll work hard this week to get ourselves back
on track.”

With the score tied at two, Iona (8-6, 2-1 MAAC) scored the next 12 points to lead 14-2 with 13:45 left in the first half.

“We know that we will struggle on offense at times,” Milligan said.
“We combat that by having a strong rebounding effort and playing solid
defense and we didn’t do either today.”

Iona caused 26 turnovers for rider and had 13 steals in the game.
“We came out on our heels again today,” Milligan said. “and it cost us
again.”

The Broncs got to within four at 16-12, four points by junior
Shaunice Parker (Waldorf, Md./West Lake) before Iona went on a 16-0 run
and the Gaels led 35-14 at the half. Parker finished with six points.

“I am extremely disappointed in the effort, especially in the first
half,” Milligan added. “Especially in the last four minutes of the
half, to go down 21 heading into the locker room, that is
unacceptable. It’s a MAAC game and we worked so hard to gain respect
back for the program and then we get into the league and it’s like
their minds went backwards. It’s something that we have to continue to
work on. We are young, we only have one senior and we are still
working on getting the players adjusted into our system.”

The Gaels have defeated Rider six straight times and lead the overall series 15-9.

This was Rider’s eighth single-digit loss in nine games this season and the Broncs have lost two straight overall.

The Broncs host Saint Peter’s on Friday at 7:00pm in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game.

LAWRENCEVILLE— Coming off a disappointing one-point loss on Friday,
the Broncs wanted to make a statement on Sunday. “There are two ways
to react to that loss on Friday,” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey.
“You could hang your head and have a hangover effect, or you can come
out and play the way we played today. I think we handled the tough loss
with maturity.”

The Broncs snapped a two-game losing streak by defeating Canisius by
51 points Sunday afternoon, the largest scoring margin for Rider since
the 1963-64 season when Rider defeated Hunter 103-50. “After a tough
loss Friday I think it shows our maturity the way we came back and made
a statement today,” said senior Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape), who
compiled 18 points and 15 rebounds in just 26 minutes of action.

Junior Lamar Johnson (Scranton, PA/Scranton) came in off the bench
and was perfect, making all six of his shots from the field, all six
from beyond the arc, and all three of his foul shots for a career-high
21 points in just 16 minutes of action. “The rim looked huge today,”
said Johnson, who compiled a four-point play that gave Rider a 75-28
lead.

The 100 points marked the first time Rider scored 100 in regulation
since February 22, 1998 when Rider defeated Siena 102-90, and it made
Canisius 0-11 lifetime in Alumni Gym. “It wasn’t so much Canisius as
it was the way we ran our offense today,” Dempsey said. “Jason was
out-running their big men down the floor and we had a lot of options
today.”

The ‘double-double’ for Thompson was his ninth of the year and the
39th of his career. In addition to Johnson and Jason Thompson,
sophomore Ryan Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) added 15 points and five
assists in 22 minutes.

Holding a 12-10 lead, Rider (9-6, 2-2 MAC) scored 16 consecutive
points, nine by Johnson and out-scored Canisius (2-12, 0-4 MAAC) 22-3
to take a 34-13 lead mid-way through the first half.

Holding a 39-23 lead, Rider scored the next 11 points to take a
50-23 lead and led 54-25 at the half. The 54 points is the most Rider
scored in a half since January 3, 2005, when Rider scored 57 points in
the second half of a 95-86 victory over Saint Peter’s.

Rider scored the first 12 points of the second half and out-scored
Canisius 17-2 to take a 71-27 lead before emptying the bench with 13
minutes left to play.

The victory was the second for Rider over Canisius in four weeks.
Elton Frazier scored a game-high 22 points off the Canisius bench.

The Broncs are now 5-1 at home this season, and have now won 110 of
their last 148 (.743) games in Alumni Gym. Last year Rider was 8-5 at
home with one winning coming at the Sovereign Bank Arena.

Rider has now won four of its last six games and six of the last nine.

Canisius shot just 11-21 from the foul line.

It marked the first time Rider scored 100 points in regulation since February 22, 1998, a 102-90 win over Siena.

Rider travels to Iona Friday for a 7:30 MAAC game. “That will be a
big challenge for us,” Dempsey said. “Iona has been a tough place for
us to play, but we’ve had some success away from home this year. Our
guys tend to like the ‘us against the world’ feeling on the road.”

Rider defeated Penn State (neutral), Canisius, Monmouth and Rutgers all away from home this year.

January 05, 2008

LAWRENCEVILLE--Rider senior Jason Thompson
(Mt. Laurel/Lenape) compiled 26 points and 11 rebounds, and his younger
brother, sophomore Ryan Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) added a
career-high 24 points and six rebounds, but it was not enough to defeat
Marist in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory at Rider Friday
night. “They made more plays then we did in the last couple of
minutes,” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey. “It was discouraging the
way it ended.”

Trailing 80-78, Marist senior Ryan
Stilphen made a three-point play, with a lay-up on an inbounds pass and
a foul shot with 3.4 seconds left to give Marist the win. “Give Marist
credit, they made all the plays going down the stretch,” Dempsey said.
“Good teams are not going to go away. They kept battling, making shots
and making plays, and the next thing you know it turns back into a dog
fight.”

Trailing 73-71, Rider (8-6, 1-2 MAAC)
out-scored Marist (8-6, 2-1 MAAC) 8-2, six points coming from the
Thompson brothers, to take a 79-75 lead with 2:09 remaining. Red Fox
freshman guard Jay Gavin made a three point field goal with 1:39
remaining to cut the lead to one. Gavin finished with a team-high 21
points off the bench. “Gavin really stepped up and made some big
shots,” Dempsey said.

Rider junior Harris Mansell (Cheltenham,
PA/Cheltenham) made one of two foul shots for an 80-78 lead, before
Stilphen’s game-winning three point play, the 17th and final lead
change of the game. “In that situation, up two, we had to guard against
the three-point field goal,” Dempsey said. “In my wildest dreams I
didn’t think a three-point play would end the game. If you defend the
three and they score a lay-up, you can live with overtime at home, but
I never expected a three-point play.”

Stilphen finished with 11
points, including the 1,000th of his career and now has 1,006 career
points, the 25th Red Fox to reach 1,000 career points.

After making all 10 of its foul shots in
the first half, Rider missed its first eight foul shots of the second
half and finished 12 for 21 for the game. “Foul shooting has been an
Achilles’ heel for us, but it never really cost us a game until
tonight,” Dempsey said.

Trailing 69-58, Marist out-scored Rider
15-3, eight points by David Devezin, to take a 73-71 lead with 3:11
left to play. Devezin finished with 14 points. “Devezin was really hard
for us to guard,” Dempsey said. “He put a lot of pressure on our
defense, driving the ball.”

Rider out-scored Marist 15-6 over the
first 6:40 of the second half, six by Jason Thompson and five by Ryan
Thompson, to take a 60-51 lead.

The Thompson brothers accounted for 31 of
Rider’s 45 first half points. The 'double-double' for Jason Thompson
was his eighth of the year and the 38th of his career.

Senior Kam Warner (Pleasantville) came in
off the Rider bench and made three three-pointers in 15 minutes of
action, finishing with nine points.

“We scored enough points tonight,” Dempsey
said, “but we had a difficult time stopping them in spots when we
really needed a stop, and that is where the game got away from us.”

“This is a terrific win for our program,”
said Marist head coach Matt Brady, “on the road against a team that is
clearly a threat to win the regular season title. They are well
coached and have a lot of answers.”

January 04, 2008

LAWRENCEVILLE—Two years is a long time. Due to a Colonial
Athletic Association rule, that is how long Ed Bordas had to sit out
when he transferred from Binghamton University to Rider. The long wait
is over, and everyone is happy about that. “Now that I’m back, the
two-year wait was worth it,” said heavyweight Ed Bordas (Montgomery, N.Y./Valley Central), “but to be honest I was doubting myself at times.”

On Friday Bordas jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second period
and won 7-1 in Rider’s loss to Purdue. “I got a little winded in the
third period because I’m not in compete match shape yet,” Bordas said.
“No matter how much you practice it is different in a match. It feels
good to get my first win here. I didn’t want to disappoint the fans.”

“It’s nice to have him in the line-up,” said Rider head coach Gary Taylor. “Ed
is very competitive, he doesn’t like to lose, and he’s a heavyweight
who is tough on top. Any heavyweight who is tough on top usually does
well. It has been a while since we’ve had a heavyweight who could
consistently win the conference title, and I think Ed could do that.”

Bordas was 6-3 as a freshman in his first semester at
Binghamton before leaving school and coming to Rider. “Waiting two
years, it was pretty tough,” Bordas said. “I got pretty aggravated with
it last year, feeling like I wasn’t contributing, and my grades started
to dip. This year I’ve got my grades back up about 3.5 and now I feel
pretty good.”

After his two year hiatus, he wore the Rider singlet for the
first time last week at the prestigious Midlands tournament and won two
of four bouts. His first match was against the eighth seed, former collegiate star Nik Fekete of the Hawk Wrestling Club.

“The first match I got beat up pretty good (17-4),” Bordas
remembers. “He was about 27 years old, on the Olympic circuit. He was
way more ready than I was for my first match coming back. I was nervous
and he took it to me.” After that Bordas defeated
Mike Sprigg of Army 7-4 and defeated Dustin Bauman of Northern Iowa 2-0
in the consolations before losing to Dave Benner of Northern Illinois
5-2. “Beating the Army kid felt good and the Northern Iowa kid
was pretty tough,” Bordas said. “In the fourth match of the day I felt
I could have beaten the Illinois wrestler.” “Not bad for his first time out,” Taylor said. “He’s been out for two years and the people he lost to are pretty good.”

Bordas is already the top ranked heavyweight in the CAA. “The
top seed surprised me a little bit,” Bordas said. “There are some good
heavyweights in the CAA. But that is my goal this year, to win the
weight class at the CAA championships and win a match or two at
Nationals. I beat the eventual CAA Champ from Drexel and the Hofstra
kid when I was at Binghamton, so I guess that carried some weight. I’m
a lot bigger now and better on my feat. I was smaller and quicker back
then.”

Another transfer, junior 165 Jason
Lapham (West Chazy, N.Y./Beekmantown), won in his Alumni Gymnasium
debut. A transfer from Penn State, Lapham won by fall. “It is nice to have Jason and Ed in the line up,” Taylor said.

However, with three starters out of the line up due to
injuries, the Broncs lost to Purdue Friday. “I knew it was going to be
tough with 125, 133 and 184 out, particularly 184,” Taylor said. “Their
184 is real tough and Doug (nationally ranked junior Doug Umbehauer of Shamong, N.J. who was sidelined with a concussion) had already beaten him this year. To beat good teams you have to be able to beat some of their best people.”

Rider senior T.J. Morrison (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff) also won by fall, and sophomore Fred Rodgers (Perkiomenville, Pa./Boyertown) won at 141 to get Rider on the board. “Freddie
is a real competitive kid,” Taylor said. “Being a Pennsylvania State
runner-up in high school, he is used to being competitive and fighting
hard. He’s just going to keep getting better.”

Last week Rider placed a best-ever 12th of 50 teams at the Midlands tournament, where Purdue (3-2) placed eighth.

Rider travels to Boyertown (PA) High School January 8 to take on Bloomsburg.

The show starts at 7:00pm and can also be heard live on WBUD radio, 1260AM.

Hosting the show once again will be the voices of Rider basketball, Daryl Fein and Steve Rudenstein.

The weekly show gives an inside look to Rider basketball, and will
occasionally feature Rider players and other guests. Fans are invited
to be part of the live audience and submit questions for Coach Dempsey.

The half hour show is open to the public and is scheduled for the following nights:Tuesday, January 8Tuesday, January 15Tuesday, January 22Tuesday, January 29Tuesday, February 5Tuesday, February 12Tuesday, February 19Tuesday, February 26Tuesday, March 4

January 03, 2008

LAWRENCEVILLE—It was over in 136 seconds. Virginia
(10-4) jumped out to a 15-0 run in the first two plus minutes of the
game and never looked back, opening up a 30-9 lead half way through the
first half and despite 24 points from senior Janele Henderson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin), the Broncs lost to the University of Virginia 98-51 in a non-conference game Wednesday night. “This gets us re-centered on some of our weaknesses that we have,” head coach Lynn Milligan said. “I was disappointed that we lost like that, especially on our home floor.”

Henderson, went 6-11 from three-point range in 34 minutes of action, finishing one off her career high in points. “Janele played strong and confident tonight,” Milligan said. “She
got herself back on track and played like you expect a senior to play
against a very strong Atlantic Coast Conference team.”

“Virginia is an ACC team and I really wanted to step up,” said
Henderson who was named the MAAC player of the week the first week of
the season. “I wanted to show that I could play with them and be on the same court as them. Shooting wise, the game boosted my confidence heading into the conference games.”

The 98 points surrendered is the most allowed by Rider since
November 29, 2002 when the Broncs gave up 104 points to ACC power
Maryland.

Also for Rider, freshman Shannon Ferguson (Fort Washington,
Pa./Upper Dublin) had a career-high 12 rebounds (six on the offensive
glass) and a career-high nine points in 36 minutes of action.

“When you have freshmen, sometimes they don’t know any better
and that’s a good thing,” Milligan said about the steady play of
Ferguson who spent the night crashing the boards. “Shannon just went out there and played and against an opponent like Virginia, that’s what you have to do.”

Down 35, Rider (5-8) closed the first half on a 7-0 run, four points by junior Shaunice Parker (Waldorf, Md./West Lake) and the Broncs trailed 51-23 at intermission. Parker finished with eight points, six rebounds and two steals.

Up 68-39, the Cavaliers used a 13-0 run midway through the second half to turn the game into a rout.

New Jersey native Sharnee Zoll led five Cavaliers in double-digits
with 21 points, six assists and four steals in only 22 minutes of
action. Zoll went 7-8 from the field including 4-4 from three-point range. Overall, Virginia made a school record 14 shots from three-point range.

“Credit Virginia,” Milligan said. “They are a very strong defensive team and your margin for error against a team like them is very small.” The Cavaliers forced a season-high 30 turnovers for Rider and had 15 steals in the game.

“Virginia is the type of team where any little thing, turnovers,
diving after loose balls, if anything gets by you, they will capitalize
because they play a full 40 minutes,” said Henderson. “I don’t think we did that in the beginning of the game, I think we were a little hesitant.”

Virginia is now 4-0 all-time against the Broncs, including 2-0 in Alumni Gym.

The Cavaliers played without junior forward Lyndra Littles who suffered a knee injury in practice on January 1. Littles is second on the team averaging 16.3 points per game.

Rider travels to New Rochelle, New York on Sunday, January 6 for a 2:00pm Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game at Iona.

“We can pull some positives from this but we had some weaknesses exposed,” Milligan said. “There are some things that we need to correct quickly before Sunday.”

“We want to show that despite our 0-2 start in the conference, we aren’t the same Rider team of the past,” Henderson added. “We are looking to start getting that respect with our effort on Sunday at Iona.”

The game was a homecoming for Cavalier head coach Debbie Ryan, a Pennington, New Jersey native who is in her 31st season as head coach at Virginia. “This is where I’m from and I love this area,” Ryan said. “Rider head coach Lynn Milligan has the team on the right track. The players play hard, they are much, much better than last season and she has lots to build with here. Lynn is a very good coach and it won’t be long until she has the program turned around.”

Prior to the game, Ryan was recognized
for her sponsorship of a Courage Award to be given to a Mercer County
athlete named in honor of Chris Somma. Somma was a Hamilton High West basketball player who pasted away from cancer last year.

“Having the players witness the Courage Award presentation tonight
really helps us realize that sports aren’t everything all the time and
that there is a whole lot of life out there other than sports,” Ryan
said. “I think for all of the players it is a
good reminder that it isn’t about winning and losing, sometimes it is
also about helping others.”

Ryan will be inducted in June as part of the 2008 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame 10th anniversary class

December 31, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE—Rider University freshman Mike Ringgold was named the
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week for all games
played the final week of 2007.

A 6’7”, 200 pound forward, Ringgold (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman
Catholic) made seven of nine field goal attempts at Drexel Friday night
in his collegiate debut in his hometown, compiling 14 points, five
rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Trailing 21-16, Rider went on a 21-8 run, six points by Ringgold, to
take a 37-29 lead and led 37-30 at the half. Ringgold’s dunk gave Rider
a 47-39 lead, his basket gave Rider a 53-47 lead and his final basket
cut the Drexel lead to 64-60 in the 73-66 loss.

For the season Ringgold is averaging 7.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

December 30, 2007

EVANSTON, ILLINOIS—The Broncs are competing this weekend at the 45th
Annual Midlands Wrestling Tournament, hosted by Northwestern
University, with three wrestlers in the semi-finals and three in the
consolation wrestle backs.

Senior Don Fisch (Williamstown, N.J./Delsea),the eighth seed at 149, will
face the fifth seed, Jake Patacsil of Purdue in the semi-finals Sunday.
Fisch defeated Grant Paswall of Illinois 7-3 in the quarter-finals. Fisch defeated Matt Cusick of Virginia Tech 3-0 in the round of 16. Fisch
won a major decision (14-0) in the first round over Chris Szabolcs of
Air Force and defeated Ashtin Primus of Missouri 7-2 in the second
round.

Senior T.J. Morrison (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff),the fourth seed at 197, will
face the top seed, Josh Glenn of American, in the semi-finals Sunday.
Morrison defeated the fifth seed, Matt Koz of Tennessee-Chatanooga 3-1
in the quarter-finals. T. J. Morrison defeated CAA-foe Jon Oplinger of
Drexel 3-1 in the round of 16 after defeatingAlec Bonander of Luther 7-4 in the first round.

Junior 165 Jason Lapham (West
Chazy, N.Y./Beekmantown) will face the fifth seed, Jon Reader of Iowa
State in the semi-finals Sunday. In the quarter-finals Lapham defeated the eighth seed, Tim Palmer of Wisconsin-LaCrosse 3-1. Lapham defeated Benjamin Hoover of Nebraska 8-7 in the round of 16. Lapham received a first-round bye before defeating TH Leet of Iowa 4-2.

Junior Doug Umbehauer (Shamong, N.J./Lenape) won
7-1 in the consolations against Brendan Faust of Wisconsin-LaCrosse and
will now face Josh Edmonson of Tennessee-Chattanooga. Umbehauer lost 3-1 in sudden victory to Phil Keddy of in the round of 16. The sixth seed at 184, Umbehauer received a first round bye before defeating Dave Sullivan of Pittsburgh 9-2.

Sophomore 174 Mike Miller (Wilmington,
Del./Brandywine) was pinned (4:20) by the sixth seed, Jay Borschel of
Iowa in the round of 16. Miller received a first round bye before
defeating Mitch Artist of Iowa State 11-7, and will now compete in the
consolations against Ryan Smith of Great Falls.

Junior Ed Bordas (Montgomery, N.Y./Valley
Central) defeated Mike Sprigg of Army 7-4 in the consolations, and will
now face Dustin Bauman of Northern Iowa. Bordas received a first round bye before losing 17-4 to the eighth seed, Nik Fekete of Hawk Wrestling Club.

Sophomore Rob Morrison (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff) lost 5-4 in the 157 pound consolations to Clint Arlis of Illinois. Rob Morrison lost 7-4 in the first round to Emanual Brooks of Missouri.

In the 141 pound consolations, sophomore Fred Rodgers (Perkiomenville, Pa./Boyertown) lost 5-3 to Michael Bonora of Rhode Island. Rodgers lost 4-2 to Nick Shumate of Southern Illinois in the first round.

In the 133 pound consolations, juniorZac
Cunliffe (Farmingdale, N.J./Howell) will face Steve Siokos of Harper.
After a first round bye Cunliffe lost 9-0 to the #2 seed, Jim Kennedy
of Illinois.

In the consolations sophomore 125 Tommy Lorenzo (West Orange)
defaulted to Andrew Taylor of Dubuque. Lorenzo was pinned (1:28) by TJ
Wunnicke of Northern Illinois in the first round.

The Broncs placed a best-ever 13th at Midlands last year, with Umbehauer finishing runner-up and T.J. Morrison placing fifth.

December 29, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE—All is forgotten when you make the winning shot.
Shaking off an 0-7 shooting effort in the first 37 minutes of the game,
Rider sophomore Amanda Sepulveda (Perth Amboy/Hun School) made a
three-point field goal at the buzzer to give Rider a victory over
Princeton Saturday afternoon. “I am proud of the kids for the way they
fought,” said head coach Lynn Milligan. “It wasn’t a pretty game by
any means but we talk about it everyday, how you battle and battle and
play strong defense so that you have the opportunity to win close
games.”

Sepulveda scored seven of Rider’s final nine points of the game and
finished with seven points making three of her last four field-goals
while adding seven rebounds (four offensive) and four assists in 34
minutes of action.

“It’s very important to have a player like Amanda that has that much
confidence,” said junior Shaunice Parker (Waldorf, Md./West Lake) who
compiled her sixth career ‘double-double’ with a team-high 12 points
and a game-high 14 rebounds. “This is going to help us push into the
new year and will also send a message that we aren’t the same Rider
team as the last few seasons.” Parker also had three blocks and four
steals in 30 minutes of action.

“If you work hard and put yourselves in situations to win games,
good things will happen,” Milligan said. “Everyone wants the ball in
the final minute and you can’t say that about a lot of teams, let along
very many players. We don’t really have a player that isn’t afraid to
shoot with the game on the line and that gives us so many options.
After missing the shot at Rice, that shows me how tough of a kid that
Amanda is.” Rider lost by one at the C-USA power Owls 66-65 on
December 20.

“The kid made a big shot,” said Princeton head coach Courtney
Banghart. “We had to work hard for all of our shots and we didn’t make
them [Rider] work as hard for theirs.”

“Amanda had the option of going or looking for Janele [Henderson]
since we only needed a two,” Milligan said about the winning play.
“Janele was open but Amanda took the shot and it went in. At Rice last
week, Janele wasn’t open and Amanda had to go to the basket and the
shot was blocked. We’ll take today’s result. With the way Amanda
struggled and having the shot blocked at the end of the Rice game, a
lot of kids would have passed the ball off but Amanda wanted the ball
and wanted to take the shot.”

“I wanted to take the shot again,” Sepulveda said. “I saw Janele
was covered so I just threw the shot up and it went in. I was given a
little bit of space and I knew if I could get the shot off, it had a
chance to go in. That’s the biggest shot of my career. It was
exciting. You need that confidence level. You learn from every
situation that you face and I learned from the Rice game and all of the
other close games that we’ve had this season.”

With the score tied at 40, Bronc sophomore Tammy Meyers
(Willingboro) made a lay up with 29 seconds left before Princeton
senior Meg Cowher hit a jumper at the top of the key with 7.8 seconds
left for the sixth and final tie of the game, setting Sepulveda’s
winning shot. Cower finished with a game-high 24 points and a
team-high nine rebounds with Meyers adding 11 points and four
rebounds.

“Cowher is a terrific player,” Milligan said. “She is difficult to
stop because she is very fundamental with her foot work. You know how
she is going to score and we didn’t do a very good job stopping her but
we did make her work for everything she got. And we stopped everyone
else from scoring their averages.”

Sepulveda’s offensive rebound and lay up with 52 seconds left gave Rider a 40-38 lead.

Rider led 38-33 before Princeton went on a 7-2 run to tie the score at 40-40 with 40 seconds left.

The Broncs led 32-17 before the visiting Tigers went on a 13-2 run,
eight points by Cower, to cut the lead to 34-30 with 4:12 remaining.
“It was nerve racking that we started turning the ball over and they
started making shots,” Parker said. “But coach told us that the game
is never over until the final horn goes off and we were ready from what
we did in practice for these tight situations, what to do if they score
and what to do if the game is tied. We just had to stick with the
system but it was nerve racking. Amanda’s final shot was awesome.”

Rider (5-7) out-scored Princeton (3-11) 14-4 to start the second
half, five points by Meyers, to take a 32-17 lead with 12 minutes left.

Trailing 9-8, Rider went on an 8-0 run, six by Parker, to take a 16-9 lead and Rider led 18-13 at the half.

“Shaunice is working at her game every day,” Milligan said. “She is
getting better and better and when she sets her mind to it, I don’t
know if there is a better rebounder around.”

Rider has now won eight of the 25 all-time meetings with its Mercer
County rival. The Tigers defeated the Broncs by 29 last season in
Jadwin Gym, scoring 47 points in the first half.

Princeton has lost five straight games.

“To hold a quality team like Princeton to 42 points is amazing,”
Milligan added. “For us to have five wins going into the new year, I
am very proud of that. After playing a one-point loss, overtime win
and one-point loss, it was nice to reap the rewards today and get
another win. A solid defensive effort is your main stay and gets you
through games where you struggle offensively.”

This is the second time this season that the Broncs have held a team
in the 40’s with Rider defeating Monmouth 59-46 on November 9 and is
the best defensive effort for Rider since holding Niagara to 41 points
in a 73-41 win on January 10, 1999 in Alumni Gym.

“The defensive effort was great today,” Parker added. “Holding
Princeton to 13 points in the first half gave us the opportunity to win
the game and just like Coach Milligan said, ‘a strong defensive effort
will keep you in every game’.”

“It feels great that we are earning respect with the way we play,”
Sepulveda added. “After struggling last season, this feels really
good. We focused on ball pressure and tried to limit what the other
players besides Cowher could do.” Cowher had 57 percent of Princeton’s
scoring in the game.

Also for Rider, freshman Shannon Ferguson (Fort Washington,
Pa./Upper Dublin) had 10 rebounds, seven on the offensive end to go
along with four points in 32 minutes of action. “Shannon gave us a
spark with the two offensive rebound put backs,” Milligan said. “When
you are struggling as a team, the hustle plays are what are going to
keep you in the game and with 18 offensive rebounds, we hustled on the
offensive glass. We work very hard on not being spectators and going
after each rebound hard.”

The Broncs host ACC power Virginia on Wednesday, January 2 at 7:00pm
in Alumni Gym. “Virginia is pretty good,” said Milligan. “So this is
a good spring board in the respect that I don’t have to keep telling
the team that it will happen, good things will come with hard work.
They all witnessed how hard work creates opportunities for you as a
team and with this being a local rivalry, this was a big win.”

Entering the game, the Broncs had suffered seven losses, all by
single digits, including two one-point heartbreakers but were able to
give Princeton its fifth single-digit loss of the season. “It feels
good to finally be on the cheering side and not on the side walking off
the floor with your head down,” Sepulveda added. “This definitely will
give us momentum heading into 2008.”

December 28, 2007

Home News Tribune Online 12/28/07

A wrongful death lawsuit was filed Friday by lawyers for Gary and Julie DeVercelly, whose son Gary DeVercelly Jr. died in March after a party at the on-campus Phi Kappa Tau house in which authorities say pledges were urged to consume large quantities of alcohol.

The suit in state Superior Court seeks an unspecified amount of money from Rider, as well as Ohio-based Phi Kappa Tau, and four members of the fraternity's now-defunct Rider chapter.

This small-time setting was about the last place you would expect to
find an NBA prospect, but there he was in Rider's handsome cranberry
red uniform, a visitor from the decidedly mid-major MAAC, long and lean
like the 1 that adorns his jersey's back. Meet Jason Thompson, the best
6-foot-11, 250-pound forward you've never heard of.

Last season, Thompson averaged 20.1 points and 10.1 rebounds a game,
placing him with Kevin Durant and Nick Fazekas as the only 20-and-10
players in Division I. This season, after a summer spent working out at
camps run by LeBron James and Amare Stoudemire, he's averaging 19.8
points and 11.3 rebounds a game.

December 27, 2007

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.--Despite 21 points and
eight rebounds from senior Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape), the
Broncs saw their three-game winning streak end at Drexel’s Daskalakis
Athletic Center Thursday night (December 27). “I thought Drexel wanted it more than
we did tonight,” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey. “It was a well
played game and Drexel made more plays than we did in the last eight
minutes.”

Rider (8-5) led 58-55 with 6:30 remaining before Drexel (7-5)
out-scored Rider 12-2, making four three-point field goals, to take a
67-60 lead with 3:15 left to play. “We played a pretty good game for
the first 30 minutes,” Dempsey said. “In the
last ten minutes when it was time to go, their kids went and we didn’t.
They beat us to loose balls, they beat us on the glass, the team that
wanted it more certainly got it tonight.”

Tramayne Hawthorne and Gerald Colds each made two three-pointers in
that late stretch and the pair made all nine of Drexel’s
three-pointers, combining for 29 points. “They stepped up and made a
lot of threes in that stretch,” Dempsey said.

That was the 13th and final lead change of the game, and
Drexel’s first lead since 25-22. “When they needed to be good they made
some plays and when we needed to be good we weren’t so good,” Dempsey
said.

Rider led 51-43 before the host Dragons went on a 10-2 run, six
points by Hawthorne, to tie the score at 53-53 with 8:28 remaining.
“You have to give Drexel a lot of credit,” Dempsey said. “Their kids really wanted that game. They we resilient when we had a chance to put them away.”

Rider freshman Mike Ringgold (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic) made
seven of nine field goal attempts in his hometown collegiate debut,
finishing with 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals
in 33 minutes of action. “Mike was great,” Dempsey said. “He’s been
battling injuries all year. We finally had some time to get him
healthy.”

Trailing 21-16 mid-way through the first half, Rider went on a 21-8
run, six points by Ringgold, to take a 37-29 lead, and the Broncs led
37-30 at half time. “It felt good to come home and play in front of my
family and friends,” Ringgold said, “but we lost, so it doesn’t feel
too good right now.”

Drexel out-rebounded Rider 39-28, including 25-13 in the second
half. “We out-rebounded our opponents in nine of our first 12 games and
we won eight of them,” Dempsey said. “Rebounding is always a key. If
we’re on the positive end of the glass we’re usually on the positive
end of the scoreboard.”

The back and forth first half saw 12 lead changes and two ties.

Drexel trailed 14-13 before out-scoring Rider 8-2 to take a 21-16 lead with10 minutes left in the first half.

Thompson entered the game ranked fifth in the nation in rebounding, 12th in blocked shots and 29th in scoring. His 1,605 career points is now seventh highest ever at Rider.

The victory broke the 26-26 tie in the series that began in 1956-57.
The home team has now won the last six meetings, including Rider’s
overtime win in Lawrenceville last year and Drexel’s 12-point win here
in Philadelphia in 2005-06.

The Dragons were one of the teams many felt deserved an NCAA bid
last year after a 23-8 season with 13 road victories, including wins at
Villanova and Syracuse. The loss at Rider was considered a major reason
why the Dragons did not get selected. Drexel lost at home to North
Carolina State in the first round of the NIT last year. “Rider reminds
me of our team from last year,” said Drexel head coach Bruiser Flint. “Rider is better this year than last year. Jason is playing better and has great offensive skills. Ryan is having a great year.”

The Dragons were coming off a 12-point win over Bucknell on Saturday night. That victory ended a four-game losing streak. The
Dragons began the season with wins over Penn, Navy and Florida Gulf
Coast and also defeated Robert Morris and Loyola. Loyola is picked to
finish second in the MAAC this year.

Rider returns home to resume MAAC play next weekend, hosting Marist
January 4 and Canisius January 6. “We’re excited about getting back to
the league play,” Dempsey said. “Tonight was very similar to a high-level MAAC game on the road, so we’re very prepared for the MAAC schedule.”

December 24, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE—Both the Rider University men’s and women’s swimming
and diving team are ranked in the Division I national 'mid-major' team
power rankings as compiled by collegeswimming.com and are the only Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference school currently ranked in the top 25.

The men’s team is currently 19th with 168.35 points and the women’s team is currently 20th with 172.13.

Released four times a year, the rankings are compiled using results
from each dual meet that the teams compete in during the season. The
next poll is scheduled for release on February 6.

CollegeSwimming.com produces a Power Ranking for Mid-Major Division
I institutions. The mid-major rankings were designed to support and
promote institutions that do not benefit from large football and
basketball television agreements. Rankings are based on each team’s
best dual meet lineup as judged and submitted by participating teams.
Rankings are announced four times throughout the season and entries are
due on November 14 (Pre-Invite), December 20 (Post-Invite), February 6
(Pre-Conference), and March 6 (post-conference).

Harvard University currently leads both the men's and women's rankings

December 22, 2007

PISCATAWAY--During Revolutionary times,
there was the Battle of Trenton, the Battle of Princeton and the Battle
of Monmouth. At the Louis Brown Athletic Center Friday night, the
Division I men’s basketball Battle of New Jersey took place, with Rider
upsetting host Rutgers.

“I’m very proud of our kids,” said Rider
head coach Tommy Dempsey. “Points were hard to come by but our defense
carried us. We have mental toughness, and we don’t win this game
tonight without great team chemistry.”

Sophomore Ryan Thompson (Mt.
Laurel/Lenape) compiled 19 points and nine rebounds to lead the Broncs
to victory. “Ryan and Harris were super tonight,” Dempsey said. “There
was a stretch in the first half when Ryan really put on a show and
showed he was the best player on the court at that time.”

Junior Harris Mansell (Cheltenham,
PA/Cheltenham) made a left-handed lay up with 38 seconds left to give
Rider (8-4) a 59-57 lead. Mansell finished with 15 points, seven
rebounds and five assists. “We have a resilient group,” Dempsey said.
“We showed a lot of heart, a lot of character.”

“I wanted the ball in my hands,” Mansell
said, “even though it seemed every one of my shots was getting blocked
tonight. I saw the lane open up and I just wanted to get it up quickly
before it got blocked.”

The victory was Rider’s second over a
major conference this year, having defeated Penn State on November 23.
“We’ve been working hard on our defense, fighting for respect, and
we’ve been able to take advantage of the opportunities we had this year
to earn some respect for our program,” Mansell said.

Trailing 55-45, Rutgers (7-5) out-scored
Rider 12-2, seven points by Anthony Farmer, to tie the score at 57-57
with 2:00 remaining. “I told the team that with the score tied, don’t
worry about the offensive end,” Dempsey said, “that if they don’t score
we can’t lose. As it turned out we didn’t let them score.”

Rider led 48-45 before going on a 7-0 run,
four points by Harris Mansell and three by freshman Patrick Mansell
(Cheltenham, PA/Cheltenham), to take a 55-45 lead. Patrick Mansell
finished with six points off the bench, making a pair of three-pointers.

Senior Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape)
played just 12 minutes in the first half due to foul trouble and
finished with a season-low 12 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes
of action. “It wasn’t one of Jason’s better games,” Dempsey said, “but
guys stepped up all over the place. In other games this year when Jason
struggled, we struggled, but tonight everybody picked him up.”

“I struggled tonight with foul trouble but
my teammates really stepped up,” Jason Thompson said. “Harris made
some big shots. That gives me a lot of confidence in my play, knowing
that if I do get in trouble the other guys are going to pick up the
slack.”

“I think our big guys did a great job on
Jason,” said Rutgers head coach Fred Hill. “I don’t think the people in
attendance here tonight got an appreciation of how good Jason really is
because of what our guys were able to do. Jason is a legitimate first
round draft pick.”

Rutgers led 39-38 before Rider went on an
8-2 run, all eight points scored by the Thompson brothers, to take a
46-41 lead with 10:30 left to play. That was the ninth and final lead
change of the game.

Trailing 27-19, Rider scored the final
seven points of the first half, five points by Harris Mansell, to cut
the lead to 27-26 at the half.

Freshman Matt Griffin (Philadelphia,
PA/St. Joseph’s Prep) played a career-high 18 minutes and grabbed an
offensive rebound to keep the play alive, setting up the game-winning
shot by Mansell. “Matt is a competitor,” Dempsey said. “He was taking
care of the basketball (zero turnovers) and gave us energy. He’s a
winner.”

Freshman Mike Ringgold (Philadelphia,
PA/Roman Catholic) made one of two foul shots with 6.4 seconds left to
seal the victory. “Mike is a warrior,” Dempsey said. “We’ve struggled
from the foul line and Mike has really struggled from the line, but I
knew he would find a way to get one of those two foul shots in.”

For Rutgers, Farmer finished with a team-high 18 points and JR Inman compiled 15 points and five rebounds.

Trailing 12-10, Rutgers went on a 14-4 run, 10 points by Inman, to take a 24-16 lead with 5:00 left in the first half.

Rider out-rebounded Rutgers 45-39 and held
Rutgers to 36 percent shooting from the field. “We weren’t great
tonight, but anytime you out-rebound a Big East team and hold a team to
36 percent in their building you have to be pleased,” Dempsey said.
“That’s a pretty good sign.”

In the battle for New Jersey supremacy, Rutgers is now 2-2 against NJ Division I teams. Rider is 4-0 against NJ teams.

Thompson now has 1584 career points, six
points shy of seventh. Thompson is already the Rider career leader in
rebounds (894) and blocks (181).

Thompson came into the game ranked fifth in the nation in rebounding (11.6), 12th in blocks (3.3) and 29th in scoring (20.5).

In three games this year against the ACC, Big Ten and the Big 12, Thompson averaged 23 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.0 blocks.

This was the lucky 13th meeting between these two teams since the series began in 1947-48, and the first victory for Rider.

This was the first meeting since 2000 when Rutgers won 65-53. Rider took Rutgers into overtime twice in the 1980s.

Rider has now won three in a row and five out of the last six.

Rider is 7-3 in non-conference games this year with two remaining. Rider was 7-6 in non-conference games last year.

Rutgers is 6-2 at home, the only other
loss coming to #1 North Carolina. Rider is 3-2 on the road this season
and 1-2 on neutral court.

Senior Joel Green (Philadelphia, PA/Harriton) missed the game with a concussion.

The Broncs have now won three consecutive road games, at Canisius and at Monmouth, before traveling to Piscataway.

December 15, 2007

WEST LONG BRANCH--Senior Jason Thompson
(Mt. Laurel/Lenape) compiled 19 points, nine rebounds and four blocks
to lead Rider to victory at Monmouth Saturday night. “Monmouth is a
rival of ours,” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey. “Two New Jersey
schools with similar missions, this is one we always look forward to.
This is a solid road win.”

Holding a 42-26 lead, Rider out-scored Monmouth 15-3, eight points
by Jason Thompson, to take a 57-29 lead with 10 minutes left to play.
“When we get some stops, we like to get out and run,” said Jason
Thompson, who made seven of 12 field goal attempts. “That is something
we’ve worked hard on this year.”

Rider scored the first seven points of the second half, five by
junior Harris Mansell (Cheltenham, Pa./Cheltenham), to take a 42-20
lead. Mansell finished with 13 points. “We really came out strong in
the second half,” Dempsey said. “We really played good basketball.”

With the score tied at 8-8, Rider went on an 18-3 run, four points
each by the Thompson brothers, to take a 26-11 lead, and Rider led
35-20 at the end of the first half. Rider never trailed in the contest.

The Broncs compiled 21 assists. “That’s the most this season, so I am very happy with that number,” Dempsey said.

With the victory Rider (7-4) has now won two in a row and four out of the last five games.

Rider is now 2-2 on the road.

Thompson entered the game ranked third in the nation in rebounds (11.9), 13th in blocked shots (3.2) and 30th in scoring (20.7).

Thompson’s 1,572 career points is eighth highest ever at Rider and 18 points shy of seventh.

The victory is just the third for Rider in the last nine games in
West Long Branch, the other two coming in 2005-06 and 1997-98. “To win
handily here is quite an accomplishment,” Dempsey said. “we’ve had some
real battles with Monmouth over the years.”

This was the 33rd meeting between the former NEC rivals, with Rider holding a slight 18-15 advantage in the series that began in 1974-75.

Rider is now 3-0 against New Jersey teams, having already defeated NJIT and FDU.

The Broncs stay in New Jersey to play at Rutgers December 21.
“Rutgers is a game our guys have been looking forward to,” Dempsey
said. “We haven’t had a lot of big wins over the years against the
major conferences. This year we got a Big Ten win against Penn State
and now we have a chance to get a Big East win and we’re looking
forward to that opportunity.”

December 13, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE—Sophomore Ashley Anderson (East Orange) scored
11 points, six in overtime, and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds to
lead Rider to victory over the United States Military Academy Wednesday night. “Ashley’s role is to come in, shoot and defend and she did that perfectly tonight,” said head coach Lynn Milligan. “It was nice to finally be on the upside of one of these close games.”

“My role is to rebound,” said Anderson who has led the Broncs in rebounding four times in 10 games this season. “I was getting the looks to go back up and they were fouling me and I was able to connect.” Anderson was a perfect five for five from the free throw line including four for four in overtime.

Trailing 43-42, Rider (4-6) went on a 13-9 run, eight points by
junior Danielle Costantino (Norristown, Pa./Archbishop Carroll), to
take a 55-52 lead with 3:15 left in regulation. That was the ninth and final lead change of the game.

Costantino finished with 11 points off the Rider bench, giving Rider
leads of 45-44 and 55-52 with three-point field goals leading the
Broncs to fifty percent shooting in the second half.

“I was able to get open, my teammates got me the ball and I just shot it,” said Costantino. “It was all the work of my teammates tonight and I’m glad they had that confidence in me. I’ve been going out there and working on my shot and believing that it will go in.”

“We’ve been waiting for a game from Danielle like this for a long time,” said Milligan. “She works so hard in practice and she was due. She should feel really good about her effort tonight.”

Down 57-55, Army tied the game with just over a minute remaining on
a jumper by Alex McGuire, the eighth and final tie of the game. Rider
missed a three-point field goal with 40 seconds left in regulation,
forced a steal and missed another three with two seconds left in the
second half, sending the game into overtime.

With Rider holding a 63-60 lead, sophomore Amanda Sepulveda
(Perth Amboy/Hun School) stole the ball and made two foul shots with 21
seconds left to give Rider a 65-60 lead. Sepulveda finished with a team-high 13 points and five assists.

A three-point field goal by sophomore Tammy Meyers (Willingboro)
cut the Army lead to 24-23 with 4:00 left in the first half before the
Black Knights out-scored Rider 6-2 to take a 30-25 lead at the half.
Meyers finished with 10 points.

28 of Army’s 30 first half points were scored in the paint and the Black Knights held a 46-24 advantage inside the lane. “We know we are out-sized,” Milligan said. “For us to be successful our perimeter defense has to be extraordinary and it was tonight.” Rider caused 20 turnovers and had nine steals in the game. “Each rebound was magnified because of the advantage that Army had in the paint,” Anderson said. “When you are at a size disadvantage, boxing out is crucial.”

Army (5-5) led 39-29 before Rider went on an 11-0 run, six points by senior Janele Henderson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin), to take a 40-39 lead with 11:35 left in regulation.

Junior Shaunice Parker (Waldorf, Md./West Lake) scored the
first four points of the second half to cut the Army lead to 30-29.
Parker finished with nine points and eight rebounds.

Rider took a 7-6 lead on a three-point field goal by Sepulveda
before Army went on a 10-4 run, four points by Stefanie Stone, to take
a 16-11 lead. A 7-2 Rider run tied the score at 18-18 with 7:22 left in
the first half, the fourth tie if the game. Stone finished with eight
points.

Rider is now 4-3 at home.

The ‘double-double’ was the second for Anderson in her career. “Ashley
gave us great minutes and is sustaining her effort for longer periods
of time which is allowing us to play her longer," Milligan said. "That
helps us stay in the flow on the offensive end and also keeps a solid
rebounder in the game.”

Army is picked to finish second in the Patriot League, while Rider is picked to finish last in the MAAC. “We came back and worked hard in practice the past two days,” Milligan added. “Army
is a strong team and it wasn’t easy coming to practice on Monday after
a one-point conference loss the day before to Niagara.”

With the victory Rider snapped a four-game losing streak, including three in a row at home.

Rider and Army split the previous four meetings, with the Black
Knights winning the last two including a 65-54 decision at West Point
last season.

For Army, Erin Anthony had 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench and guard Cara Enright added 14 points.

Rider’s last overtime game was on February 11, 2005, a 70-68 home loss to Canisius. Rider’s last overtime win was at Niagara on January 26, 2001 by a score of 84-80. Rider’s last home overtime win was against Wagner by a score of 71-66 on February 22, 1996.

Rider travels to Houston, Texas to take on Rice University December 20. “This win really helps,” Milligan said. “We
had a four-game home stand and we’ve been playing well at home and
we’ve just been coming up short. With losing the two conference games
this past weekend by seven points and one point, that was emotionally
draining and this win will really pick the team back up.”

December 11, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ—Brandon Cotten of Wiconisco, PA, a senior at
Williams Valley High School, has signed a national letter of intent to
further his education and baseball career at Rider University, Rider
baseball coach Barry Davis announced.

A 6’2”, 170 pound centerfielder, Cotten was an All-Upper Dauphin
Sentinel first team pick his sophomore and junior seasons after being
the Upper Dauphin Sentinel Freshman of the Year in 2005.

“Brandon has plus speed and covers a lot of ground in the outfield,” Davis said. “Offensively he has the chance to hit for power, but has the speed to be a force every time he comes to the plate.”

Cotten collected 53 hits in 147 at bats (.361) over his last two
seasons, compiling nine doubles, 12 triples and a pair of home runs.
His 15 career triples is already the Williams Valley career record,
shattering the old record of 10.

During the summer of 2007 Cotten earned Upper Dauphin American Legion All-Star honors.

“We are expecting Brandon to challenge for playing time early in his collegiate career,” Davis said.

Rider won 20 games last season, the 15th consecutive 20-win season and 24th in the last 25 years for the Broncs.

EDISON—Junior Kelly Kajunski (Glenmore, Pa./Downington East) and
senior John Smith (Cliffwood Beach/Matawan) of the Rider University
Indoor Track & Field teams were named the Metro Atlantic Athletic
Conference Performers of the Week for all competition December 4-10.

Last week at the New Year’s Invitational at Princeton University’s
Jadwin Gym, Kajunski won the high jump with an ECAC qualifying height
of 1.70 meters (5’7”).

“Kelly is ahead of schedule already in her preparation,” said Rider
head coach Rob Pasquariello. “Kelly is the person who the other
athletes are going to look to and her consistency is going to allow her
to stand on her own. Kelly is developing into a leader, a take charge
type of kid and is doing everything we have asked of her.”

Smith won the 3000 meter race with a personal best time of 8:44.42.
The second place runner finished over 11 seconds behind Smith’s pace.

“John just picked up right where he left off from cross country
season,” said Pasquariello. “He led our distance squad today.” Smith
placed 14th at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference cross
country championships in October, earning All-MAAC honors for the third
time in his career.

At Princeton Rider was competing against Loyola, Rutgers, Monmouth,
Temple and host Princeton. “The meet is a very good meet to open with,”
Pasquariello said about the competition. “All of the fields were solid
and gave our athletes a chance to test themselves right out of the
blocks.”

December 09, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE—It is usually about how you finish. Today, it was how
they started. Despite battling back from a 19 point deficit, the
Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game to Niagara Sunday
afternoon. “Unfortunately, there is two halves to a basketball game,” said head coach Lynn Milligan. “I
hope we come away with a strong taste of disgust in our stomachs
knowing what they are capable of and understanding how important it is
to focus art the beginning of games.”

With the score 58-57 Niagara (3-6, 1-1 MAAC) with 1:14 remaining,
the Broncs had three chances to regain the lead but missed all three
shots in the last minute including a jumper by senior Janele Henderson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin) at the buzzer. Henderson, the Broncs’ leading scorer was held to nine points in the game on three of 19 shooting in the game. “Teams have been going a good job on Janele and she is starting to press a little bit,” Milligan said. “She has been our go to person, our work horse and she doesn’t want to come out and we don’t want to take her out.”

Down 49-38 with 8:15 remaining in the game, Rider (3-6, 0-2 MAAC)
went on a 15-2 run, six points by sophomore Tammy Meyers (Willingboro)
and five points by Henderson to take its first lead of the game (53-51)
with 3:50 left in the contest. The Purple Eagles responded with a 5-0 run to regain the lead for good. Meyers finished with a career-high 18 points and a career-high seven rebounds in 30 minutes of action.

“We had to use every ounce of energy to get back in the game,” Milligan said. “Tammy gave us a great lift. She has been struggling. She came out strong and is a work horse. She wants to make it happen every time and she got us back into the game. She got us going when we were in a little bit of a rut and got to the foul line when we needed points.”

Down 40-28 at the half, Rider went on an 8-0 run, holding the Purple
Eagles scoreless for the first seven minutes of the half to get within
four at 40-36 and the Bronc defense held the Purple Eagles to three
points in the first 10 minutes of the second half and 18 points for the
period. “I was happy with our defense in the second half,” Milligan said. “If you hold a team to 18 points in a half, you should win the game.”

Also for Rider, sophomore Amanda Sepulveda (Perth Amboy/Hun
School) had 10 points with fellow sophomore Ashley Anderson (East
Orange) tying a career-high with 10 rebounds in only 22 minutes of
action. Freshman Shannon Ferguson (Fort Washington, Pa./Upper Dublin) had five points, seven rebounds and two steals for the Broncs. “Ashley gave us terrific minutes and did everything we asked her to do and that was to hustle and rebound,” Milligan added.

Niagara roared out to a 17-3 lead six minutes into the game and extended its lead to 19 (28-9) with 8:40 left in the first half. The
Broncs cut the Purple Eagle lead to 10 (30-20) with an 11-2 run, five
points (all free throws) by Meyers and Niagara led 40-27 at the half. Meyers finished 10 for 12 from the free throw line and the Broncs were 28-36 from the charity stripe. “I was happy that we got to the foul line after getting only 14 attempts on Friday,” Milligan said. “We were much more aggressive and didn’t fall into the trap of chucking three’s like we did against Canisius.” The Broncs attempted 30 three-point field goals against the Golden Griffins.

Niagara snapped a six-game losing streak and the Broncs have lost four straight.

The Purple Eagles lead the overall series 15-9 and have won three straight against Rider.

The Broncs host the United States Military Academy (Army) in a
non-conference on Wednesday at 7:00pm in Alumni Gym on the
Lawrenceville campus.

“We’re going to get back in the gym and correct this,” Milligan said. “When
everyone is shooting well, you feed off each other and when everyone is
struggling, you start to press a little and we just need to focus on
the next game and getting a better start and take it from there.”

December 08, 2007

BUFFALO, N.Y.--Rebound. Senior Jason
Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) helped his team rebound from a 12-point
loss on Thursday to defeat Canisius in a Metro Atlantic Athletic
Conference game Saturday, and in the process became Rider’s all-time
rebound leader. “Anytime you can break a record that stood for 30
years, anytime you can do something that nobody in the history of the
school has done, that’s really special,” said Rider head coach Tommy
Dempsey. “We’re very proud of him. It’s a great record and he has a lot
of rebounds left in him.”

Thompson compiled 25 points and 13 rebounds, his seventh ‘double-double’ of the season and the 37th of his career. The 13 rebounds gives him 878 for his career, breaking the Rider record of 874 set in 1977 by Chuck Simon.

“I wasn’t aware that I was getting close to it,” Thompson said. “I
guess it shows that all of the hard work during the off-seasons has
paid off. It is an accomplishment I am proud of, but like I’ve said before, my only goal is to win a championship.”

Holding a 63-50 lead, Rider (6-4, 1-1 MAAC) went on a 19-2 run, 10
points by Thompson, to take an 82-52 lead with 2:41 left to play.

“They put a crowd around Jason for most of the game,” Dempsey said.
“Once the game loosened up a bit in the second half they were a bit
late with their double team. We got Jason the ball and if he gets the
ball in the paint he’s very hard to stop.”

Rider led 33-30 with 3:22 left in the first half before going on a
16-1 run, eight points by junior Harris Mansell (Cheltenham,
PA/Cheltenham), to take a 49-31 lead, and the Broncs led 49-33 at the
half. Mansell finished with 13 points.

Canisius committed 10 turnovers in the first half and finished with
15, “They are a growing team, playing a lot of young players, so we
were hoping to speed the game up,” Dempsey said. “It is difficult for a
team to play fast with three or four freshmen on the court. We were
trying to speed the game up and have their young players make decisions
with the ball.”

Canisius (0-8, 0-2 MAAC) made three three-point field goals in the
first five minutes and led 13-9 before Rider went on a 9-1 run to take
an 18-14 lead. That was the fifth and final lead change of the game.

Sophomore Ryan Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) added 14 points, four
rebounds and four assists, while freshman Justin Robinson (London,
England/Blair Academy) added 12 points, a career-high six rebounds, a
career-high four steals and four assists in just 25 minutes of work.

“Our guys passed the ball well, really shared the ball well in the
open court,” Dempsey said. “We did a really good job tonight.”

Rider out-rebounded Canisius 38-27. “We dominated the boards,”
Dempsey said. ‘We forced some turnovers in the transition game. We’re
very good when we can get in transition.”

Rider returns to the Garden State and travels to Monmouth December
15 and to Rutgers December 21, before traveling to Drexel on December
27. “Our next three games are exciting with local rivals, and our kids
are excited about it,” Dempsey said. “Unfortunately they are all on the
road, so it was good to get a road win tonight.”

The victory Saturday was Rider’s first road win of the season, Rider is 4-0 at home and 1-2 on neutral court.

Thompson now has 1,553 career points, eighth highest ever at Rider
and 37 points shy of seventh. “I’ve heard people speak about me getting
2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, and that would be great, but I’m not
really focused on that,” Jason said. “It would be a great record to
get, but the record for most wins in a season would be even better. As
I help my team win, the individual records will come.”

“We were focused on coming up here and winning both games,” Dempsey
said, “but once we lost to Niagara there was only one thing left to do,
and that was to split.”

The Broncs rebounded from the loss at Niagara, and Jason Thompson continued to rebound for the Broncs.

PRINCETON—The Rider University men’s and women’s indoor track and
field teams opened the 2007-08 season competing at the Princeton New
Year's Invitational Saturday at Jadwin Gym. “I
thought we got some things accomplished that we set out to do,
including getting a good look at our younger athletes,” said head coach
Rob Pasquariello. “Our goal was to see how competitive we are. It is much different competing in practice and competing in an actual meet. You never know where you stand until you compete against other schools.”

For the Rider men, senior John Smith (Cliffwood Beach/Matawan) won the 3,000 meter with a person best time of 8:44.42. “John just picked up right where he left off from cross country season,” said Pasquariello. “He led our distance squad today.” Smith placed 14th
at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference cross country championships
in October, earning All-MAAC honors for the third time in his career.

For the Rider women, junior Kelly Kajunski (Glenmore,
Pa./Downington East) won the high jump with an ECAC qualifying height
of 1.70m with sophomore Lauren Lester (Schenectady, N.Y./Mohanosen)
winning the mile (5:21.54).

“Kelly is ahead of schedule already in her preparation,” Pasquariello said. “Kelly
is the person who the other athletes are going to look to and her
consistency is going to allow her to stand on her own and surpass some
of the accomplishments that Jazmine [Fenlator] put up last year. Kelly is developing into a leader, a take charge type of kid and is doing everything we have asked of her.”

Fenlator graduated as a two-time Rider Female Athlete of the
Year and was named the Most Outstanding Performer at both the Indoor
and Outdoor Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Track & Field
Championships, leading Rider to a pair of team titles as a senior.

“Our preparation, getting ready to compete and going through
that was just as important as an experience as the actual meet,” said
Pasquariello. “I was really pleased with how everyone responded.”

Also for the women’s team, sophomore Alicia Price
(Voorhees/Eastern) was fourth in the weight throw (14.49m) and shot put
(11.60m) and freshman Shaylah Counts (Newark/Malcoln Shabazz) was fifth
in the 60 meter dash (8.18).

“The meet is a very good meet to open with,” Pasquariello said about the competition. “There really are no breaks in any of the events. All of the fields were solid and gave our athletes a chance to test themselves right out of the blocks. We got a good indication from our younger athletes that they can train and compete at a high level.”

The Broncs return to action on January 12 at the Penn State Relays.

“We try to educate our athletes that the schedule is going to
be tough and until they get out there and actually compete, it’s hard
to simulate that competitive level in practice,” Pasquariello added. “You
never know how they are going to respond until they are placed in a
competitive pressure situation and again, I was very pleased with both
teams.”

LAWRENCEVILLE—Despite 20 points and seven rebounds from senior
Janele Henderson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin), the Broncs lost to
Canisius in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener for both
squads Friday night in Alumni Gym. “Canisius forced us to take some shots that we are not used to taking,” said head coach Lynn Milligan. “Our
overall defensive effort was solid but we had a few breakdowns late and
you are not going to win many games shooting under 28 percent.”

Down by 16 points with 18 minutes remaining in the game, Rider (3-5,
0-1 MAAC) went on a 12-4 run, five points each by Henderson and
sophomore Amanda Sepulveda (Perth Amboy/Hun School) to get within seven (37-30) with 12 minutes remaining. Sepulveda finished with 16 points playing a career-high 37 minutes.

The Broncs cut the Golden Griffin lead to four at 41-37 on a
Henderson three-pointer with 8:46 left but that was as close as Rider
would get. Henderson had three three-pointers in the game for her fourth 20 or more point effort of the season.

Sophomore guard Brittane Russell hit the next
eight points for Canisius (4-3, 1-0 MAAC), including back to back
three-pointers to put the Golden Griffins up by nine with 4:25 left. “Russell just broke our back with those three point baskets,” Milligan said. “We came all the way back and then she stepped up and hit some big shots for them.”

“We started off slow,” said Henderson. “We need to play better to open games and pick it up because we are now in conference play.”

After Rider cut the lead to five with 1:45 left, Russell made her
third and final three of the game and the Golden Griffins went eight
for eight from the free throw line in the final minute to put the game
away, including four foul shots by Russell. Russell led Canisius with 19 points, making six for six from the charity stripe.

The Broncs shot five of 33 in the first half (15 percent) and were held under 28 percent for the game. “I’ve never seem a half like that in my years of coaching,” Milligan said. “We were getting shots and we just weren’t connecting. You
have to just keep running the offense and keep looking for open
shots.” After making its first field goal attempt of the game, Rider
made only one more of its next 21 shots and were 2 for 22 at the eight
minute mark of the first half.

“Canisius did a great job on the defensive end,” Milligan added. “Every shot that we were able to take, we had to work for, using almost all of the shot clock and that took a lot out of us. Nothing was easy for us tonight on the offensive end and Canisius had a lot to do with that.”

Rider attempted 30 from beyond the arc making nine two-pointers and nine three-pointers for the night.

“Every look, every shot that we got, we had to work for,” said Henderson. “The easiest shots came early in the first half and they just didn’t go down. We had good looks and just didn’t put them in. The second half, we worked harder. A
shooting night like this is going to happen from time to time but coach
is right that our strong defensive effort was going to get us back into
the game and it did. We just ran out of time to come back.”

Also for the Broncs, junior Shaunice Parker (Waldorf, Md./West Lake) had
12 rebounds (five offensive) to move into a tie for 19th place on the
all-time rebound list at Rider with Robin Stein who had 384 boards from
1999-2002. The Broncs held a 17-9 advantage on the offensive glass
however were out-rebounded by the Golden Griffins 40-37 in the game.
Sophomore Ashley Anderson (East Orange) added six rebounds, three on
the offensive glass in 22 minutes for Rider.

Rider jumped out to a 3-0 lead and then saw the Golden Griffins go
on an 11-0 run to lead by eight with 13:42 left in the first half.
Rider was held without a two-point field goal until the 3:47 mark of
the first half and the Broncs trailed 29-16 at the half.

“We got shots in the first half and just didn’t make them,” Milligan said. “Our
defensive effort in the first half was good, we wanted to hold Canisius
to 27 and we held them to 29 so I was pleased with the effort. The shots just weren’t falling and we dug ourselves a hole that we couldn’t get out of.”

Overall, Canisius has defeated Rider 15 times in a row and leads the series 19-5.

The Golden Griffins made six three-pointers in the game and have a
three-point field goal in 397 straight games, the longest current
active women’s NCAA Division I streak in the country.

Canisius broke a two-game losing streak and the Broncs have now lost three straight. “The mind set of the team is good,” Milligan said. “We’ll come back fighting on Sunday against Niagara.”

Rider hosts the Purple Eagles in a MAAC game Sunday afternoon at 2:00pm in Alumni Gym on the Lawrenceville campus. “Niagara is similar to Canisius,” Milligan added. “The new head coach at Niagara is a former Canisius assistant so they do a lot of the same things. The game plan will be similar, for us to play strong defense and find a way to score.”

COLLEGE PARK, Md.—The Broncs lost a dual at 23rd ranked Maryland (6-3) on Saturday afternoon. “Maryland has a very tough team,” said head coach Gary Taylor. “We had quite a few wrestlers out today that we will have back for the second semester.”

“I still have a lot to work on but I was able to get on top
today and do what I do best,” said Morrison who evened his record at
5-5. Morrison is coming off a second place finish at the Keystone Classic. “The team results have been a little frustrating but it is still early.”

This was the third loss to a ranked opponent for the Broncs this season with 6th ranked Missouri and 2nd ranked Iowa State defeating Rider in November. Maryland recently defeated Michigan which went on to win the prestigious 48-team Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.

“We schedule to prepare both for the conference and nationals,” said Taylor. “It’s a tough schedule and a tough thing to go through. The
wrestlers have to determine how much they get out of it but I think it
gives them a realistic view of how tough it is to get to and compete in
the NCAA National Tournament. It has been proven
in the past that this type of competition gets us ready for the
conference championships and also the NCAA’s.”

“We still have three months to go before CAA’s and nationals,” Morrison added. “I just have to keep working on my mistakes, make the adjustments and prepare for March. To be able to wrestle kids of this caliber gives us an advantage down the line going into some of the tournaments. You
are going to face kids that haven’t faced nearly the competition that
we have and it’s a little edge that we can keep in our back pocket and
see where we stand overall in the nation.”

The Broncs are now 3-5 all-time against the Terps with Maryland winning the last two duals in the series. Maryland defeated Rider last season 25-16 in Alumni Gym.

The Broncs begin the second semester of competition at the Midlands Cham

December 06, 2007

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY,
N.Y.--Niagara University, the defending conference champion, made 15
three-point field goals to defeat Rider in the Metro Atlantic Athletic
Conference opener Thursday night. “I’m disappointed in the way we
played tonight,” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey, “but Niagara had a
lot to do with that. They play great in this building.”

Niagara (4-2, 1-0
MAAC) is now 4-0 at home this year.

Senior forward
Charron Fisher made a career-high eight three-pointers and finished with
a career-high 36 points and eight rebounds. “Charron put on a show
tonight,’ Dempsey said. “He was unbelievable and we didn’t have an
answer for him.”

For Jason, it was his
sixth ‘double-double’ of the season and the 36th of his
career. His 10 rebounds gave him 865, nine shy of the Rider career
record.

Trailing 57-39, Rider
went on a 10-2 run, seven points by Ryan Thompson, to cut the lead to
59-49 with 11:31 remaining, but that was as close as the Broncs could
get, as Fisher made back-to-back threes to give Niagara a 65-49 lead.
‘We clawed our way back into it several time and each time it seemed
Fisher had the answer.”

Niagara made its
first five three-point field goals in the first five minutes of the
game. “That put us in a hole,” Dempsey said.

The Purple Eagles led
12-8 before going on a 10-0 run, five points by sophomore guard Tyrone
Lewis, to take a 22-8 lead. Lewis finished with 14 points and six
rebounds.

Trailing 22-8, Rider
went on a 12-2 run, six points by Jason Thompson, to cut the lead to
24-22 with 8:25 left in the first half.

Niagara led 31-25
before Rider went on an 8-0 lead to take a 33-31 lead.

Trailing 33-31,
Niagara out-scored Rider 14-0, five points by Hodge, to take a 42-33
lead, and Niagara led 49-34 at the half on 20 first half points by
Fisher. “That’s a long climb in someone else’s building,” Dempsey said.

December 02, 2007

PRINCETON—Both
the Rider men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are competing at
the ‘Big Al’ Invitational, hosted by Princeton University this weekend
at DeNunzio Pool.

For the Rider
women’s team on Saturday, junior diver Amanda Burke (Churchville,
Pa./William Tennent)
won the one-meter with a score of (276.80), sophomore Kellyanne
Tomasula (Sussex,
N.J./Vernon Township) placed seventh in the 100 back (56.89) with junior
Priscilla Modrov (Smithtown, N.Y./Hauppauge) placing eighth in the 100
fly (56.58).

For the Rider men’s team sophomore Scott Player (Chino Hills, Calif./Ruben S.
Ayala) was 11th in the 100 fly (51.43), senior Peter Starr
(Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown Area Senior) was 13th in the 100
back (53.20).

December 01, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE—Junior Harris
Mansell (Cheltenham, Pa./Cheltenham) scored 23 points, including eight
foul shots in the final minute, to lead Rider to victory over Binghamton
Saturday afternoon. “I
knew we had to hold the lead and to hold them off,” Mansell said. “They
were making a run but it is a killer when you are trying to make a run
and the team with the lead makes its foul shots. I just concentrated and
knocked them down.”

Mansell made
all 10 of his foul shots in the game. The rest of the Broncs were just
12 of 23 from the foul line Saturday. “Foul
shooting has been a bit of an Achilles heel for us,” said Rider head
coach Tommy Dempsey. “We have good foul shooters but some of them are
not making their foul shots right now. The percentages will swing back
into our favor.”

Senior Jason
Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) compiled 15 points and 11 rebounds for the
Broncs (5-3), who remain undefeated at home (4-0) this season. The
‘double-double’ for Thompson was his fifth of the season and 34th
of his career.

Holding a 42-38 lead, Rider out-scored Binghamton 15-2,
seven points by Thompson and six by junior
Lamar Johnson (Scranton, Pa./Scranton),
to take a 57-40 lead with 9:00 left to play.

With 6:14 remaining, Bearcat Richard
Forbes was called for an intentional foul on Thompson. Thompson’s
response resulted in a flagrant technical foul and was ejected from the
game. “I caught an elbow and it felt like an attack,” Thompson
remembered, “so I was just trying to protect myself, to stop the attack.
I wasn’t trying to retaliate, just stop the attack on me.”

“I
feel fortunate to get out of here with a win after things got a bit
chaotic, to say the least,” Dempsey said. “We found a way to rally
ourselves, get to the free throw line and knock down some big free
throws.”

“We all knew Binghamton was going to come
out with a lot of fire once Jason was gone,” Mansell said. “We had the
game pretty much in hand (64-49) at that time.”

Johnson made a three-point field goal with
3:17 left to give Rider a 69-58 lead, stopping an 8-0 Bearcat run, and
finished with 11 points.

Rider freshman
Mike Ringgold (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) compiled 11 points and
a career-high 14 rebounds. Ringgold scored six of Rider’s first eight
points of the game and had 10 points at halftime. “I’m
just an energy guy, out there to rebound and play defense, trying to get
everybody going,” said Ringgold, who compiled his first collegiate
‘double-double’. “Play my role and do my job, do the little things.”

“I
have Mike in the starting line up for a reason,” said Dempsey. “I’m not
trying to ease him into anything. I have a lot of confidence in him.
He’s a great athlete and his role will expand as his career goes on.”

Holding a 29-28 lead,
Rider out-scored Binghamton 6-0 over the final 3:20 of the first half,
four points by Thompson, to take a 35-28 lead at the half. Rider went
on a 12-6 run, four points by Thompson, to take a 20-19 lead with 7:20
left in the first half.

Mansell made
back-to-back field goals to give Rider a 27-24 lead with 5:50 left in
the first half. That was the seventh lead change and Rider never trailed
again.

The loss was the fifth straight for
Binghamton (1-6). The Bearcats were led by senior guard Richard Forbes,
who had 10 points in the first half and finished with a team-high 23.
Lazar Trifunovic of Serbia compiled 14 points and eight rebounds.

“I have to take my hat off to Coach
Dempsey and his team,” said Binghamton head coach Kevin Broadus, the
former assistant at Georgetown. “Rider played well as a team and Tommy
has done a great job here.”

Rider travels to Western New York to begin
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play at Niagara Thursday and Canisius
Saturday evenings.

November 29, 2007

PHILADELPHIA,
Pa.—Despite a 16 point, nine rebound effort from junior Shaunice Parker
(Waldorf, Md./West Lake), Rider (3-3)
lost a non-conference game at the Palestra Wednesday night against Penn
(3-3). “It was a game of runs and we didn’t get that one big stop that
we needed to regain the momentum at the end of the game,” said head
coach Lynn Milligan. “We didn’t rise to the occasion on the defensive
end and Penn was a little more physical on the offensive end and we
didn’t respond very well.”

With Rider leading 56-53 with 5:33 left in
the game, the Quakers went on a 13-2 run to end the game.

On the 15th and final lead
change of the game, Penn took the lead for good at 57-56 with 4:48 left
on a Kimberly Franklin jumper. Franklin finished with 15 points.

Rider cut the lead to three at 61-58 on a
layup by sophomore Tammy Meyers (Willingboro) with 40 seconds left but
that was as close as the Broncs would get as Carrie Biemer hit a
three-pointer with 19 seconds left to put the game away. Biemer led all
scorers with 19 points. Meyers finished with seven points for the
Broncs.

“We didn’t get a lot
of clean looks,” Milligan said. “We had 23 field goals and only eight
assists. Some of our shots were a little rushed. Penn had a good
defensive game plan, they were physical where they needed to be and
sagged off when they needed to with a ‘man zone’. We just need to
communicate better and do a better job of setting each other up.”

“Our defensive effort
was not where it needed to be to beat a disciplined offensive team like
Penn,” Milligan added.

Down 20-18 with 11 minutes remaining in
the first half, Rider went on an 8-2 run, three points each by Parker
and Sepulveda opening up a four point lead (26-22) with six minutes
remaining in the opening period and the teams were tied 29-29 at the
half.

The game saw Milligan return to the City
of Philadelphia, where she coached for 12 seasons, first at Drexel and
then for the last six years at Saint Joseph’s. “The city is a great
place for basketball,” said Milligan. “The Palestra is one of the
most if not the most historical basketball arena in the country and to
play
there is special. We tried to educate the players on the significance
of where they were playing. Anytime you get a chance to play in the
city, especially the Palestra, it is special.”

Penn leads the
all-time series 6-1 against Rider and has won six in a row against the
Broncs.

Undefeated at home,
Rider hosts the Tigers of Towson on Sunday in a 2:00pm non-conference game at
Alumni Gym on the Lawrenceville campus.

“It was a game where
our effort wasn’t what it needed to be and that was disappointing,”
Milligan said. “We need to go back to the drawing board on some of our
basic defensive fundamentals and concepts because we will be facing a
strong Towson team on Sunday.”

November 26, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE—Rider
University Head Women’s Basketball Coach Lynn Milligan has announced
that three student-athletes have signed national letters of intent to
further their education and continue their basketball careers at Rider.

“We are thrilled
these three talented young ladies have chosen to be a part of Rider
University and our basketball program,” said Milligan who is in her
first season as head coach of the Broncs. “They are committed to the
future success of this team and are willing to do what it takes for us
to reach the goals of the program. They are great basketball players but
more importantly terrific people. They are all important pieces to the
puzzle of our future.”

Parsons, a 5’5” point
guard from Philadelphia, Pa., is currently a senior at Archbishop Wood
and is a two-time Second Team All-Catholic League honoree.

“Alyssa is a tough,
heady, smart Philadelphia point guard,” Milligan said. “She has the
attitude and work ethic to succeed at Rider both on and off the court.
She is a natural leader.”

Gregg, a 5’8” senior
guard from Collingswood High in South Jersey, is a two-time All-Group II
and two-time Colonial Conference honoree while leading the team in
scoring her sophomore and junior seasons. Gregg also lettered in
soccer.

“Lauren is the type
of player who can do a bit of everything,” Milligan said. “She can run,
pass defend, and shoot the ball. She only plays one way and that is
hard. She is skilled enough to play either guard position and can score
in a number of ways.”

Homan, a 6’3” center
from Upper Darby, Pa., is a senior at Delco Christian earning First Team
All-League and Third Team All-Delaware County honors while averaging 15
points, 10 rebounds and five blocks per game as a junior.

“Sarah brings a great
element of size to our team,” said Milligan. “She is versatile in the
paint. She can post up and hit the 15 foot jumper and she will be a
great complement to our inside game.”

Rider (3-2) travels
to Penn to face the Quakers Wednesday night at the Palestra.

November 24, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE—A tale
of two halves. Up eight and then down nine, up six and then tied, the
Broncs ran their fans through a roller coaster of emotions before
winning with under a minute left in Alumni Gym before more than 500 fans
on Black Friday. “The crowd was terrific,” said head coach Lynn
Milligan. “The support is getting bigger and bigger and the players
feed off that.”

In a game that saw
nine ties and eight lead changes, Rider (3-2) used a layup by freshman
Shannon Ferguson (Fort Washington, Pa./Upper
Dublin) with 27 seconds left to break a 73-73 tie and give the Broncs
their third home win of the season, 76-74 over the Knights of Central
Florida in a non-conference game. Ferguson finished with eight
points, going a perfect three for three from the field and two for two
from the free throw line while adding seven rebounds in 26 minutes of action.

“The play happened
too quickly to really think about it,” said Ferguson about the winning
layup. “I just knew I had to get open because we needed a score and
Amanda [Sepulveda] found me coming down the left side of the lane. The
only option I had was to catch the ball and make the shot.”

Sophomore Amanda
Sepulveda (Perth Amboy/Hun School) led five
Broncs in double-digits with a career-high 23 points on nine of
13 shooting including three from three-point range, along with
four assists and two steals in 29 minutes of action and it was that
fourth and final assist on a drive in the lane that setup Ferguson for her
game-winning shot.

“Amanda did a great job running us on the
floor,” said Ferguson. “She was making shots and she was creating
opportunities for us to score. She really picked us up and helped us
get the win.”

The 76 points is the
most for Rider since scoring 77 to open the 2002-03 season against
Monmouth.

With the Broncs up
71-65, UCF (2-3) tied the game at 73 with an 8-2 run prior to the
Ferguson layup, five points by Marshay White. White finished with 11
points and eight rebounds. Rider held the Knights without a field
goal for the final 2:07.

After the teams
traded free throws with 13 seconds left, the Knights still had a chance to tie
or win the game with 1.6 seconds remaining before junior Shaunice Parker
(Waldorf, Md./West Lake) stole the
inbounds pass on the final play. Parker had two of Rider’s 12 steals on
the night with the Bronc defense causing 24 turnovers.

“We responded better
in the second half and hustled more,” said Milligan. “That’s a good
sign because in some of the other games, we didn’t respond as well and
tonight we did. We made better decisions on the defensive end and that
fed the offense. That effort got us to the line where we did very well. All
of the little things we talk about everyday came together in the second
half.”

The game saw a
combined 47 fouls with Rider going 17-21 from the foul line
compared to Central Florida which went 17-35.

“I listened to my
teammates and just focused on controlling the tempo of the game,” said
Sepulveda. “When things started going a little crazy out there, my job
was to control the action and calm everything down and as the floor
general, that’s what my team needs me to do. My first thing is to be a
point guard and get us open looks to put the team in position to do better
and I’m also a scorer and if there is an open shot, I’m definitely going
to take it.”

“Amanda has always
been able to score,” Milligan said. “With senior guard Kelli
Sawyer (Philadelphia, Pa./Friends Select) out of the lineup due to an
ankle injury, we needed Amanda to be more of a point
guard and run the team out on the floor. We challenged her at halftime
that she needed to step up and run the team and when she does that, her
offense falls into place. She has the scoring mentality and with her
getting her teammates involved, you couldn’t stop her either scoring or
passing the ball as she did on the final play. As your point
guard goes, your team goes.”

“We’ll take an ugly
win over a pretty loss any day,” Milligan added. “We seem to be a
little shaky at the end of games so far but we are learning how to win close
games. It’s a process because the kids haven’t been involved in too
many close games in the past couple of years. The biggest difference
between tonight and say the game at UMBC is that we got the stop we
needed, made the free throws we needed to and the outcome was different.”

Down 46-40 with 16:46
left in the game, Rider went on a 9-0 run, four points by Parker to take
a 49-46 lead with 15 minutes left. Parker finished with 11 points and
eight rebounds.

The Broncs
opened the game on a 10-2 run, four points by sophomore Tammy Meyers (Willingboro).
Meyers finished with 14 points and three steals in 36 minutes.

With the score tied at 21, Central Florida went on a
12-3 run, seven points by Chelsie Wiley, opening up a nine point lead at
33-24 with 3:49 left in the first half and the Knights led by seven at
the half. Wiley finished with 10 points, but only two after
halftime.

“I challenged them at
halftime,” said Milligan. “It was a little bit of a gut check. We knew
that we didn’t play our best basketball in the first half and we knew we
gave up some easy looks. We regrouped mentally at the break and
refocused on what we needed to do.”

Seventeen of Rider's
24 turnovers came in the opening period.

“The crowd kept us in
the game,” Sepulveda added. “The turnout, especially with it being
Black Friday and the day after Thanksgiving, was great.”

Also for the
Broncs, senior Janele Henderson (Brooklyn,
N.Y./Bishop Loughlin) and freshman Cintella Spotwood (Trenton/Trenton
Central) each had 10 points.

Also for the Knights,
Emma Cannon had 17 points with Tia Lewis adding a ‘double-double’ with
13 points and 14 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass.

The Broncs travel to
the Palestra in Philadelphia on Wednesday night to face the Penn Quakers
at 7:00pm. “Penn is a very good Ivy League team and we are going to
have to bring our lunch pails,” Milligan said. “To have the opportunity
to play at the Palestra is a very special thing and we are looking
forward to it.”

“The Palestra is a
special place,” Sepulveda said. “We are going in there with the mind
set to play strong defense and get ourselves a win on the road. We need
to win one away.”

Undefeated in the
confines of Alumni Gym, the Broncs are starting to feel like there is no
place like home.

November 23, 2007

ORLANDO,
FLORIDA—Brotherly Love. The Rider University basketball team, led by the
Thompson and Mansell brothers, upset Penn State Saturday in the second
round of the Old Spice Classic, held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports
Complex. “It was a little bit of David vs. Goliath,” said Rider head
coach Tommy Dempsey. “We had to gang rebound. They are bigger, more
physical, but our kids I thought played with a little more heart today.
I am very proud of my team.”

Senior Jason Thompson
(Mt. Laurel/Lenape), sophomore Ryan Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape), junior
Harris Mansell (Cheltenham, PA) and freshman Patrick Mansell
(Cheltenham, PA) combined for 70 of Rider’s 82 points. “We told the
players before the game that if we can play this game in the 80s Penn
State would have a tough time beating us,” Dempsey said. “They are a Big
10 team that likes the physical, half court style. We thought the key to
the game was to get it at our pace.”

Trailing 34-21, Rider
(3-2) out-scored PSU (2-2) 16-2 over the final 6:39 of the first half,
six points by Jason Thompson and five by Harris Mansell, to take a 37-36
lead at intermission. Rider never trailed again.

Holding a 60-58 lead
and with all four brothers on the court at the same time for just the
second time this season, Rider went on a 14-5 run, seven points by Ryan
Thompson and three each by the Mansell brothers, to take a 74-63 lead
with 4:26 left to play. “We’re all brothers on this team,” Pat Mansell
said. “I don’t even notice when all four brothers are on the court.
We’re teammates and everyone is a brother. It is fun to play with
everyone on this team.”

Jason Thompson
compiled 21 points and 10 rebounds for his second ‘double-double’ of the
Classic and the 33rd of his career. “Last game against NC
State prepared me for this contest,” said Jason Thompson, who compiled
24 points and 15 rebounds against the Wolfpack on Thanksgiving. “NC
State played pretty physical and I knew Penn State would be doing the
same thing. I just let the game come to me. I didn’t want to force it
too much.”

Patrick Mansell, a
red-shirt freshman, scored 13 points in 12 minutes off the bench, all in
the second half. It was the first 13 points of his Rider career. “There
are a lot of good players on our team,” Dempsey said. “I’ve been wanting
to get Pat more minutes but it is always at somebody else’s expense. I
had a gut feeling at half time that he might give us a spark. He hadn’t
played in two games but he’s a big-time scorer. Sometimes a kid in that
environment comes in without a lot of pressure on him. At the pace we
were playing at I knew there were going to be shots out there. When I
needed one more guy to step up and knock them down we gave him the
opportunity and he made the most of it.”

“I’ve been itching to
get out there,” Patrick Mansell said. “Sitting out last year was hard,
as was watching from the bench this year, knowing I could help the team.
I’m just glad I was given the opportunity today in a big spot. My
teammates have really been helping me keep my head up until my time
came. It is just a great feeling right now.”

Freshman Mike
Ringgold (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic) added four points and nine
rebounds for the Broncs. “Mike Ringgold does not back down from anyone,”
Dempsey said. “That is one of the things he has brought to this team,
toughness and a defensive presence. He is a tough kid and has a scrappy
mentality.”

Rider out-rebounded
PSU 45-35. “The big stat of this game is the rebounding,” Dempsey said.
“Out-rebounding them by 10 after they out-rebounded South Carolina by 23
yesterday was just a terrific effort.”

The victory over Penn
State was the first for Rider in four tries. The last time these two
teams met was in the 1998 NIT. “We had a chance to beat NC State
yesterday and we didn’t get it done in the second half,” Dempsey said.
“Today we had the chance to beat Penn State and we did get it done in
the second half. As a Mid-Major you are always looking for signature
wins.”

The Nittany Lions
were led by Geary Claxton, who compiled a game-high 23 points and 12
rebounds.

Rider led 12-9 before
PSU went on an 11-2 run, six points by Claxton, to take a 20-14 lead
nine minutes into the game.

Rider led 56-47
before Claxton led an 11-4 PSU run with nine points, cutting the Bronc
lead to 60-58 with 8:50 remaining.

Rider will now play
the winner of the Kansas State-Central Florida game on Sunday at 1:00 pm
on ESPNU.

Holding a 60-52 lead,
Rider (2-1) went on a 16-1 run as sophomore Ryan Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape)
scored 11 consecutive points to give Rider a 76-53 lead with 6:10 left
to play. Ryan Thompson finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and five
assists. “I just took the shots that came to me,” Ryan Thompson said.
“When they double Jason I line up outside and got into a flow. I kept
shooting the ball and it kept falling.”

Ryan Thompson made
six of eight shots from the field, including three of four from
three-point range.

Holding a 51-47 lead
with 12 minutes remaining, Rider out-scored FDU 9-2, seven points by
Jason Thompson, to take a 60-49 lead with 9:20 left to play. “We started
to turn the intensity up with our defense and I think the pressure had
an effect on them,” Dempsey said. “We have a team that is built to press
and run. You still have to focus on being a good half court offense but
ultimately we like to run.”

FDU committed 21
turnovers to Rider’s 13.

Ringgold scored
Rider’s first six points of the game as the Broncs jumped out to a 6-2
lead in the first two minutes. “Mike got us off to a great start,”
Dempsey said. “They were doubling Jason early so Mike did a great job as
a cutter and got himself some easy baskets. He really gave the building
a lot of energy. The entire team came out with great energy.”

“In the beginning of
the game Jason did a nice job of finding me,” Ringgold said. “I was just
playing my role.” Jason Thompson finished with four assists.

Trailing 37-36, Rider
went on a 8-0 run, five points by Jason Thompson, including a
three-point field goal, to take a 44-37 lead with 16 minutes left to
play. Sixteen of Jason Thompson’s points came in the seconds half. “In
the first half they were double teaming me so I tried to pass more,”
Jason Thompson said. “Mike made some nice cuts to the basket and scored
for us. He gave us a good spark. In the second half they played me one
on one so I started going to the hole.”

With the score tied
at 24-24, Rider went on a 7-1 run, four points by Jason Thompson, to
take a 31-25 lead, and Rider led 36-31 at the half.

Junior Lamar Johnson
(Scranton, PA/Scranton) came in off the bench to make three three-point
field goals, finishing with 11 points. Junior Harris Mansell
(Cheltenham, PA/Cheltenham) added 10 points as five Broncs reached
double figures in scoring. “Just a good team effort with five guys in
double figures,” Dempsey said. “When we can get the ball moving up and
down the court like that everybody gets opportunities.”

The Broncs and
Knights have now met 49 times since the series began in 1952-53, with
Rider holding a slight 25-24 advantage in the series.

The victory marks the
second consecutive year that Rider (2-1) has won its first two home
games of the season.

Jason Thompson now
has 1,402 points, ninth highest ever at Rider, and 795 rebounds, fourth
highest ever at Rider. Thompson is the only Bronc to rank among both the
top 10 career scorers and the top five career rebounders at Rider.

The Broncs will now
travel to Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida to take part
in the Old Spice Classic November 22, 23 and 25. Rider takes on 21st
ranked North Carolina State Thanksgiving Day at 2pm on ESPN2. “I was
proud of how we stayed focused with what we have ahead of us,” Dempsey
said. “It would have been easy to look ahead to playing an ACC team on
national television in Florida, but we respected FDU and concentrated on
this game.”

“This is really big
coming up and I’m looking at it as a learning experience,” Ringgold
said, “but at the same time we want to win. We know everybody is going
to be watching. We’ll play hard and give it our all.”

“We’re going down
there and looking for some respect for our program,” Dempsey said. “You
only have so many opportunities to go and earn respect for your program
and we have three opportunities this coming week. We want to go down
there and play with a lot of energy and compete well. We want to
represent our university and our league.”

“This is great for
our program,” Jason Thompson said, “the opportunity to show what we can
do.”

November 18, 2007

ANNAPOLIS, Md.—The
Broncs lost a non-conference game at Navy Sunday afternoon. “The first
half we got out worked,” said head coach Lynn Milligan. “We played
better in the second half, turned up the intensity and made some more
shots but we got out-worked, especially in the first half. It’s really
that simple.”

Down by 18 points
with seven minutes remaining in the game, Rider (2-2) used a full-court
press and went on a 17-6 run, keyed by two straight three-pointers from
sophomore Amanda Sepulveda (Perth Amboy/Hun
School) and the Broncs got to within seven at 60-53 with two
minutes remaining. Sepulveda finished with six points.

“There’s no silver
lining coming back,” Milligan said. “We didn’t compete for 40 minutes.
Yes, we did a good job cutting the lead down to six and picked up the
intensity but the bottom line is that we dug ourselves a hole early
which is something we have to correct.”

Sophomore Ashley
Anderson’s (East Orange) driving lay up
with 19 seconds left got Rider to within six before Navy sealed the game
at the free throw line. Anderson had eight points, seven rebounds and
four blocks in 26 minutes of action off the bench.

“We have kids who
will fight back and we know the effort we have the potential to get,”
Milligan added. “We can’t keep digging holes and expect to get out of
them.”

Junior Shaunice
Parker (Waldorf, Md./West Lake), playing in
her home state, led Rider scoring 12 points with four rebounds
and two steals with sophomore Tammy Meyers (Willingboro,
N.J./Willingboro) adding 11 points on five for six shooting.

Meyers also added six
rebounds.

In the opening
period, Parker hit a jumper to bring Rider to within three at 15-12
before Navy (2-3) went on a 7-0 run over the next five minutes opening
up a 22-12 lead. Parker had eight of Rider’s 20 points in the opening
half.

The Midshipmen held
Rider to five free throws the last five minutes of the half and led
32-20 at intermission.

“Navy’s zone took us
out of our flow,” Milligan said. “But it comes down to being out-worked
and that’s not going to happen again.”

Bronc leading scorer
senior Janele Henderson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop
Loughlin) was held to six points, still suffering the after
effects of an ankle injury against Hofstra November 15. Henderson, the
conference player of the week last week entered the game averaging over
22 points per game.

Navy was led by
Cassie Consedine with 15 points and 12 rebounds. K.C. Gordon and Morgan
Hill also had 15 points each for the Midshipmen.

Navy, which had 16
assists on 19 made field goals, improved to 2-0 at home while the Broncs
are now 0-2 on the road. “You have to be prepared to play on the road,”
said Milligan. “Your attention to the little things and the details has
to be even more. You are in hostile territory and that’s something that
we didn’t respond to today.”

Rider hosts Central
Florida on Friday at 7:00pm in Alumni Gym.

“We have five days to
correct some things,” said Milligan. “We are going to get back to
practice and figure out what we need to tweak. Central Florida is
young, athletic and big and we need to b e prepared to play.”

November 12, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE—Senior
guard Janele Henderson of the Rider University women’s basketball team
was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Week for
all games played the first week of the season it was announced by the
conference office Monday afternoon. "We are working on getting
Rider looked upon as a different team," said head coach Lynn Milligan. "We want to be known as a
team that will show up for every game, work hard and play defense and
that effort in the first two games got noticed.”

Henderson, a 5-9
Brooklyn, New York native out of Bishop Loughlin High, led Rider to a
1-1 week, averaging 22 points per game while playing 77 out of a
possible 80 minutes.

"It is exciting to
receive the conference recognition," said Henderson. "I'm just
trying to bring senior leadership to the table and make this a different
year."

"Janele stepped up
and showed that she can carry the team when she needs to," said Milligan
who is in her first season as Rider's head coach. "Whether it is
on the offensive end or the defensive end, she is someone we can turn to
and count on throughout the year."

Against Monmouth on
November 9, Henderson scored a career-high 25 points as Rider defeated
the Hawks 59-46, winning its opening game for only the third time in 17
seasons.

At Maryland Baltimore
County on November 11, Henderson played the whole game scoring 19
points, including eight in a row as Rider rallied from an early 13 point
deficit. Henderson scored 11 of Rider 22 first half points.

"We have a different
attitude this year," Henderson added. "I think that all of us
showed that even if we get down, we aren't out of it and that we are
going to battle for all 40 minutes. Being a senior and one of the
leaders on the team, I had to step up and everyone else was able to
follow."

The Broncs lost to
UMBC 58-53 on a Retriever three-point field goal with 53 seconds left.

This marks the first
weekly conference award for the team since then sophomore Kara Borel ’07
was named conference player of the week on December 20, 2004.

"To be a successful
team, you need strong senior leadership," Milligan added. "Janele
has worked hard and is determined to finish her senior season a winner."

The Broncs host
Hofstra on November 15 in Alumni Gym before traveling to Annapolis,
Maryland to face Navy at 2:00pm on November 18. "We are going to
put the loss on Sunday behind us, work hard in practice the next few
days and we'll be ready to face Hofstra on Thursday night," Henderson
added.

November 11, 2007

MURRAY, KY—The Broncs
lost on a last second foul shot to Murray State in the 2007-08 season
opener Friday night in the Regional Special Events Center on the Murray
State campus. “Murray State is very good and they didn’t make anything
easy for us,” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey. “We hung and we hung
and gave ourselves a chance to win it. We didn’t play poorly.”

Junior guard Kevin
Thomas made one of two foul shots with 0.2 seconds left to give Murray
State (1-0) the victory. Thomas finished with 14 points.

“I was disappointed
in that the game deserved overtime, but it isn’t the right thing to
comment on that call at the end,” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey.
“We did every thing we could do to put it into overtime. Our kids fought
like crazy.”

Junior Harris Mansell
(Cheltenham, PA/Cheltenham) scored a career-high 21 points for Rider
(0-1). Trailing 65-63, Mansell went to the foul line with 3.5 seconds
left and made both free throws to tie the score at 65-65.

“We obviously didn’t
have our ‘A’ game but we didn’t go away,” Dempsey said. “We found a way
to get that thing tied, and I think if it had gone overtime we could
have found a way to win it. We had all the momentum going.”

As expected, the
Broncs were led by Thompson. Surprisingly, it was not preseason
All-American and preseason MAAC Player of the Year Jason Thompson, but
his little brother Ryan. Sophomore Ryan Thompson ((Mt. Laurel/Lenape)
scored a career-high 23 points, after scoring 12 of Rider’s first 19
points of the game, and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Broncs.

Rider senior Jason
Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) was held to 13 points and six rebounds.

Trailing 55-47, Rider
got two free throws from Ryan Thompson and two three-pointers by Mansell
to tie the score at 57-57 with three minutes left. Mansell made a
three-point field goal with 3:00 remaining to tie the score at 57-57,
and made another three to tie the score at 60 with 2:00 left. Mansell
led the MAAC in three-point field goals last season.

“Murray State was
very good defensively and weren’t giving Harris any open looks,” Dempsey
said. “I told Harris when you are one of the top 3-point shooters in
the country you aren’t going to get many good looks. He took some tough
contested threes and was able to knock them down. He played really
clutch.”

Junior Lamar
Johnson’s (Scranton, PA/Scranton) only basket of the game, a
three-pointer, cut the lead to 64-63 with 22 seconds left.

“We grinded it out
with a good team and had a chance to win,” Dempsey said. “I knew this
games was one of the tougher games on our schedule and it has bothered
me for months.”

Murray State jumped
out to a 15-7 lead in the first 11 minutes, seven points by Tony Easley,
as Rider made just three of its first 10 shots from the field. Easley
finished with 11 points.

Holding a 30-28 lead,
the Racers out-scored Rider 9-2 to take a 39-30 lead with 15 minutes
left to play.

The Racers have now
won their last 18 home openers and are 10-0 in RSEC season openers.
Danero Thomas led the Racers with 15 points.

The Broncs lost the
2006-07 opener at NJIT, and both the 2004-05 and 20005-06 openers to
Bucknell. Rider won the 2003 season opener over Brown and the 2002
opener against Monmouth.

Murray State competes
in the Ohio Valley Conference, and like Rider, is picked to finish
fourth this season. Austin Peay is the preseason OVC favorite and
defending OVC champion.

With an enrollment of
10,350, Murray State plays in the ten-year old Regional Special Events
Center (8,600), where they average close to 4,000 fans per game.

Murray State and
Rider met for the first time last season as part of the O'Reilly ESPNU
BracketBuster series.

The Racers have won
20 OVC Championships, including 13 of the last 20, and their streak of
20 consecutive winning seasons is the fifth best active mark in Division
I.

Murray State has been
to the NCAA tournament 13 times, including five times in the last 10
years. Murray State finished in fourth place last year.

The Broncs host the
University of Delaware on Saturday, November 17 in the home opener. “Now
we get a chance to come home and hopefully we’ll have a great crowd,”
Dempsey said. “We’ll be ready to play.”

November 10, 2007

BETHLEHEM, PA—Both the Rider University men’s and women’s
teams enjoyed their highest finishes ever at the
NCAA Division I Mid-Atlantic Regional Cross Country Championships,
hosted by Lehigh University Saturday.

The Rider men placed 14th of 32
teams, while the Rider women were 22nd of 33 teams. “The guys
did fantastic and the women ran the best race they have run since I’ve
been here,” said Rider coach Bob Hamer, now in his fifth year at Rider.
“Almost every woman ran a ‘PR’ (personal record) by a lot. Most ran 30
to 40 seconds faster than they ever ran before, and that is a testament
to each of them committing mentally and physically the entire race.”

For the Rider men, senior
John Smith (Cliffwood Beach/Matawan) placed 38th of the 201
runners, covering the
10k course in 31:20. “Smith was a big-time penetrater up front for us
and that really makes a big difference in a meet like this,” Hamer said.

“I was with the front pack through the first 5k and just
stuck with people up there,” Smith said. “I was very happy about that.
I just kept pushing to the finish.”

“He is running the best of his career
right now,” Hamer said, “and it’s too bad his career is coming to an
end, because he’s really on an upswing right now. He had a really good
race at the conference meet and now today was just a great race. He’s a
tough kid who puts himself our there.”

“That time today was a personal best,”
Smith said. “This is one of the hardest races because people are trying
to qualify for Nationals. It is always easier when you are running with
somebody who is pretty good. I guess running with the best runners
brings out my best.”

“Next week at the IC4As gives John one
more chance to get another ‘big-time’ performance,” Hamer said.

“With my race at the conference meet (14th
overall for All-MAAC honors) and this one, these are two of the best
races I’ve had in my career at Rider,” Smith said, “so I guess I am
running at the highest level of my career right now.”

Also for the Rider
men, freshman Christian Gonzalez (Somerset/Franklin Twp.) placed 58th
in 31:45, junior Matt Dahl (West Keansburg/Raritan) was 74th
in 32:01. “With Christian and Matt following through one through three
was a great effort for us,” Hamer said.

Freshman
Christopher Reale (Princeton Junction/West Windsor Plainsboro South) was
121st in 33:03 and senior Jeff Stead (Fairless Hills, PA/Pennsbury)
placed 122nd in 33:06. “We were solid four-five,” Hamer
said. “The guys did
fantastic. The key for us was that we had some guys up front do a great
job, and that we committed to the race plan today, mentally as well.
The middle part of the race we really ran tough, and that is an area we
needed to work on.”

For the Rider women,
junior Kelly Wojciehowski (Fair Haven/Rumson Fair Haven) placed first
for the Broncs, 97th overall among the 208 runners, covering
the 6k course in 22:50.

Sophomore Kelsey
Kohler (Southampton, PA/Saint Basil’s Academy) was 109th in
23:09 and junior Megan Crowe (Philadelphia, PA/St. Hubert’s) was 122nd
in 23:21. “Kelsey and Megan both ran a really great race,” Hamer said.
“Kelly ran a great race but that was expected. Megan has had lots of
potential and trains real hard, but today is the best race she’s ever
run. I was really happy with her performance.”

“That was 50 seconds
faster than I’ve ever run at Lehigh,” said Crowe. “I was able to stay
relaxed throughout the race and had better concentration today. I had
more confidence in my training. As a team we really pulled it together
and all ran to our potential today.”

Also for the Rider
women sophomore Lauren Lester (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen) was 136th
in 23:43 and freshman Chelsea Callan (Hazlet/Raritan) was 162nd
in 24:21.

The cross country
season concludes at the IC4A/ECAC Championships November 17 at Van
Cortlandt Park.

November 07, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE— Rider
University freshman soccer
player Jim Bradley was named the Metro
Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week for all games played the
final week of the regular season.

Bradley (Sewell,
N.J./Washington Township) scored two goals in Rider’s MAAC victory over
Canisius in the regular season finale Sunday. Bradley collected a loose
ball and scored just 2:03 into the game. Bradley scored his team-high
fifth goal of the season off of a crossing pass for a 2-1 Rider lead in
the 3-1 victory.

Bradley was also the
MAAC Rookie of the Week September 10-17.

The Rider soccer team
is the ninth seed and will play the eight seed, Siena College, in the
first round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship
tournament.

The 10-team
tournament is being held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in
Lake Buena Vista, Florida November 14-18.

Rider lost 1-0 at
Siena on October 7, and also lost by one goal to the second seed, Saint
Peter’s (4-3), the third seed, Fairfield (1-0), and the fifth seed, Iona
(1-0).

If the Broncs defeat
Siena (5-9-4, 2-5-2 MAAC) at 2:00 pm Wednesday they will play the top
seed, Loyola (15-3, 8-1 MAAC), at 1:00 pm Thursday. The semi-finals are
Saturday and the Championship Game is Sunday at 1:00 pm.

LAWRENCEVILLE—Members
of the Rider University swimming & diving teams won all four of the
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference weekly awards this week after
defeating MAAC-rival Marist. “It is good to
see them be recognized by the conference for their performance,” said
Rider head coach Steve Fletcher.

Junior Josh
Rosenbluth was named the men’s Swimmer of the Week for the second
consecutive week, junior Priscilla Modrov was named the women’s Swimmer
of the Week for the second time this year, junior Amanda Burke was named
the women’s Diver of the Week for the second time this year, and senior
Dylan Korn was named the men’s Diver of the Week.

Against Marist Modrov (Smithtown, N.Y./Hauppauge) won the
200 butterfly (2:05.82), 200 breaststroke (2:28.68) and set a Rider pool
record in winning the 200 IM (2:08.20), and swam on the winning 200
medley relay (1:49.41). It was the third Coppola Pool record she has
broken this season in just two home meets. “Priscilla
has come back to the college season fit and ready to go, and it has
shown in her record-setting early season performances,” said
Fletcher. “She has more of a relaxed confidence in training this year
that should push her to new levels of performance.”

Rosenbluth
(Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrence) won the 100 back (51.89), 200 back
(1:56.05) and the 200 IM (1:57.48) and swam on the winning 200 medley
relay in a time of 1:36.29 in Rider’s win over Marist.

Burke (Churchville,
Pa./William Tennent) won the one-meter (254.10) and three-meter (289.95)
dives against Marist, as did Korn (Hawthorne, N.Y./Westlake) winning the
one-meter (275.40) and three-meter (277.13).

November 06, 2007

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) _ A Rider University student has died from
injuries in a car crash Friday, adding another loss to a campus
already touched by tragedy.

Nicholas Costa, 21, who lived in Hamilton, died Sunday, two days
after a crash on Route 130 in his hometown.

The car's driver, James Vandewater IV, a Johnson & Wales
University student, had already died. Two other passengers in the
car were injured, but less seriously.

The death means another loss at Rider, a liberal arts school
with about 5,800 in Lawrenceville.

Last month, one student at the university's Westminster Choir
College died of a heroin overdose. Another was charged with that
death.

Last month, David Rebovich, a political science professor who
was one of the state's most quoted political analysts, had a heart
attack while teaching a class and later died.

Last March, a student died of alcohol poisoning in a case that
received wide attention because three students and two university
administrators were charged with hazing. Charges were dropped
against the administrators in August. In September, two of the
students enrolled in a pretrial intervention program that could
keep their records clean and allow them to avoid time in jail.

October 31, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE—Some of the greatest basketball players and coaches in
the history of the Rider University program will return to Alumni
Gymnasium on Saturday, November 17. “This is going to be an exciting
day for the entire Rider basketball family,” said Rider head coach
Tommy Dempsey.

The alumni game will be played at 11:00 am, prior to Rider’s 3:00 pm home opener against the University of Delaware.

Two former head coaches with a combined 16 years and 258 victories
on the Rider bench will be the honorary coaches for the alumni game,
Kevin Bannon and Don Harnum. “Having Kevin and Don back on the benches
certainly will add to the fun,” said Dempsey, the former interim coach
who begins his second season as the Bronc head coach with a 16-15
record.

Bannon took Rider to two NCAA tournaments and five conference title
games, winning three regular season crowns on his way to 131 victories.

Harnum, now the Rider Director of Athletics, won 127 games on his
way to two MAAC regular season titles and an appearance in the NIT. The
MAAC Coach of the Year led Rider to the MAAC Title Game in his final
season.

“We have a long-standing, strong tradition in men’s basketball,”
said Harnum, “and it will be great to get players form all different
eras back at the same time. These are people who are part of our
history and we’re trying to make this a true Rider basketball family.”

Rider’s all-time leading scorer, Hall of Famer Darrick Suber, is expected to be one of the many players returning. “This is a proud program and it is important to link current players to our basketball family alumni,” Dempsey said.

October 28, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE—Nine members of the Rider University softball team were honored for having at least a 3.5 grade point average, it was announced by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association this past week. “We
constantly stress the importance of a student athlete’s performance in
the classroom and that effort shows not only on the softball team but
with each team at Rider,” said head coach Tricia Carroll.

“We are very proud of the consistent level of academic excellence of
the Rider softball program,” said Director of Athletics Don Harnum. “It is a tribute to the recruiting efforts of the coaching staff and the many efforts of the student-athletes.”

As a team, Rider ranked 22nd in the nation with a 3.354 g.p.a. Last year, over half of the 355 student-athletes at Rider accumulated over a 3.00 g.p.a.

Boulden had a 3.97 g.p.a., for the year and graduated with a degree
in Elementary Education/Psychology with Harbaugh also graduating with
an Elementary Education/Psychology and a 3.80 g.p.a.

Day-Neutill is majoring in Biopsychology and had a 3.81 g.p.a.,
Holland is a Communication major with a g.p.a. of 3.72, Schiller is a
Marketing major with a 3.79 g.p.a. and Sekly is an Advertising major
with a 3.86 g.p.a in 2006-07.

Landrum is a Management major (3.60 g.p.a.), Mills is a Psychology
major (3.69 g.p.a.) and Kozlowski is majoring in Biology with a 3.80
g.p.a.

In the fall of 2006, the softball team finished with the
highest team g.p.a. of Rider’s 20 varsity teams, accumulating a 3.44
g.p.a., the third time in the last six semesters that the softball team
had the highest team g.p.a.

“We recruit players who want to be successful,” Carroll added. “You have two jobs, academics and athletics and the expectation is that you are going to do both of those things well. The effort that our Academic Support Coordinator Sonya Hurt has done with the team has been phenomenal. The department has made a commitment to academics and it shows.”

The softball team opens the 2008 season at the Virginia Tech. tournament February 22-24.

October 22, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE—Rider freshman Margaret Ecke (New Egypt) was
awarded Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week honors for games played
October 15-21 it was announced by the conference office Monday
afternoon. “It is a well deserved honor for her,” said head coach Lori Hussong. “She just had an outstanding week in the games that she played.”

Ecke, a 5-2 midfielder/forward had a goal and two assists last
week as the Broncs posted two NEC road wins at Monmouth and Sacred
Heart.

“I’m very honored to represent my team,” said Ecke. “We’ve pulled together and the team as a whole has made me a better player. The comradeship has made our team more competitive as a whole.”

Against the Hawks, Ecke made a defensive save in overtime and pushed the ball up the field, creating a penalty corner. Ecke then scored the winning goal with 52 seconds left in the first overtime in Rider’s 3-2 win. Ecke also assisted on the opening goal of the game, just 3:51 in.

At Sacred Heart, Ecke assisted on the eventual winning goal as
Rider (9-8, 6-1 NEC) clinched the number two seed in the upcoming
playoffs with a 3-1 win over the Pioneers.

“She is getting better and better,” Hussong added. “Our team is getting better and better because of her play.”

Ecke, a biochemistry major, is currently fourth in the conference averaging 0.24 assists per game. Ecke is eighth in the NEC in defensive saves with two.

“It’s pretty rare for a freshman to break into the starting lineup right away,” said Hussong. “This year especially, we’ve had a lot of talented younger players that have played a lot of minutes and she is one of them. Our team is improving because of the play of all of the freshmen.”

This marks the 22nd time under head coach Lori
Hussong that the Broncs have been honored with a conference Rookie of
the Week award, including the fourth time this season. Freshman
forward Michaela Franey (York, Maine/York) was honored by the
conference in back to back weeks at the start of the season with rookie
Amanda Barretta (Roseland/West Essex) honored the first week of October.

“It’s a credit to the coaching staff that so many different players have been recognized,” Ecke added. “We work very hard together and put pressure on each other to become better players.”

“It is a credit to Dan [assistant coach Hussong] for the recruiting job that he does for us,” Hussong said. “He brought in a nice class for us and they all have been productive.”

Rider hosts Fairfield in the final regular season game of the year October 25. The Broncs travel to Lock Haven for the NEC playoffs November 2-3.

October 20, 2007

PRINCETON
BOROUGH — The Mercer County
Prosecutor’s Office and the Princeton Borough Police Department announced today
that charges have been filed in the death of 18-year-old Westminster Choir
College student Justin Warfield.

Kieran Hunt, 19,
was charged Wednesday evening with strict liability for the drug-induced death
of Warfield, a first-degree offense.

The complaint
specifically alleges that Hunt, of Piscataway, NJ, and also a student at WCC,
distributed and injected heroin, which caused Warfield’s death. Hunt is also
charged with distribution of heroin and distribution of heroin with 1000 feet of
a school. Bail for Hunt was set in the amount of $100,000 cash or bond and
posted last night. His first court appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on
Monday, October 22, in Princeton Borough Municipal Court.

At
approximately 5 a.m., the Princeton Borough Police Department received a 911
call regarding an unresponsive male at an apartment located in the 200 block of
Witherspoon Street. Police responded and began to perform CPR until the
Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad arrived. Warfield was transported by
ambulance to the University Medical Center at Princeton where he was pronounced
dead on arrival at approximately 6 a.m.

The investigation
has revealed that after completing his classes on Tuesday, October 16, Hunt
traveled to Newark at approximately 4:30 p.m. and purchased heroin. He returned
to the college campus and met Warfield. The two students went to Hunt’s
vehicle, a 1993 Buick Regal, and parked in the rear of D lot on the college
campus. Hunt prepared a bag of heroin for Warfield and injected it into
Warfield’s arm using a syringe. He then injected himself with an additional bag
of heroin.

Shortly after the
heroin injection, Warfield passed out. Hunt called Robert Kelly and the two
friends drove Warfield to Landrum’s apartment on Witherspoon Street and carried
him inside. They arrived at approximately 11:30 p.m. Warfield was placed on a
futon and Hunt, Landrum, Kelly and Bryan Smith drew on him with markers. A few
hours later, Landrum noticed Warfield was not breathing, began CPR and called
911.

The results of
yesterday’s autopsy are pending toxicology. Warfield’s family confirmed that he
was taking Adderall pursuant to a prescription. Police received information
that Warfield may have taken several doses of the medication prior to the
injection of heroin. Police can not confirm the presence or absence of alcohol
at this time.

Last night, police
executed search warrants at the Witherspoon Street apartment, Warfield’s dorm
room in Ithaca Hall, Hunt’s dorm room in Seabrook Hall, and Hunt’s vehicle.
Additional narcotics charges are expected to be filed based on the evidence
seized.

Despite having been
charged, every defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a
reasonable doubt in a court of law.

We write to update you on
what we have learned about the tragic death of Justin Warfield, a first
year student at our Westminster Choir College in Princeton who passed
away yesterday. The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office has brought charges
relating to Justin’s death which it alleges was caused by heroin use.
It does not appear that alcohol was a factor in his death.

A
Westminster sophomore has been arrested and charged with strict
liability for the drug-induced death. Authorities believe he purchased
the heroin and was involved in its use. As such, he has been placed on
interim suspension by the University. Three additional Westminster
students were issued summonses in connection with their involvement in
this unfortunate event.

For the full Prosecutor’s Office report, visit
the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Website.
Substance abuse on college campuses—whether by alcohol or
illegal drugs—is a national crisis, as we know all too well at Rider.
Every day, we and hundreds of other institutions like us face the
growing challenge of promoting personal responsibility among our
students while also striving to make our campuses as safe and healthy
as possible.

Justin Warfield’s tragic passing reminds us of the
importance of providing our students with the education and support
they need to make responsible and healthy decisions. We will continue to provide updates to all members of the
Rider community on this tragic incident as additional information
becomes available. Our thoughts and prayers are with Justin’s family
at this difficult time.

LITTLESTOWN, Pa.— After shooting a three-under par 69, Rider
senior Tyler Brewington (Orangeville, Pa./Benton) made par on the
second playoff hole to win the Mount St. Mary’s Fall Classic as the
golf team competed this weekend at the par 72, 6,834 yard Quail Valley
Golf Course. “Tyler put on a great performance,” said head coach Bob Whartenby. “He made some key putts and it was a good come back round after he shot a 74 on Friday.”

Brewington entered the day tied for 18th place out of 69 golfers.

“Tyler had to come out and be more aggressive and he did that,” said Whartenby. “He
had some players in front of him that weren’t going to shoot real high
so he had to pass them with a low score and come out firing. He got to four under pretty quick and kept it there.”

Brewington shot a 143 for the two-day tournament, defeating Sean Davey (Hofstra) who made par and bogey on his playoff holes.

“Coach Whartenby really helped me toward the end of the round,” Brewington remembered. “I had a double-bogey on the 17th and he spoke with me before the 18th and got my head back into the round and I had a birdie on the 18th to force the playoff. Once I was in the playoff, I was pretty loose and felt good and just stayed on the putting green to get ready. It was the first playoff I had in about seven years and I just went in and did what I had to.”

Rider shot a team score of 308 on Saturday for a 611 total
finishing seventh of 13 teams, 21 shots behind host Mount St. Mary’s
which shot a 590 (291-299).

“I really wanted to finish the year on a solid note,” said
Brewington who now has two first place, two second place and one third
place individual finish this fall. “I think I
had a pretty good season but I think that I let some tournaments go and
I really wanted to finish this one to finish the fall strong. I learned from the tournaments that I didn’t win.”

Brewington’s efforts earned him the Rider Male Athlete of the Month award for September.

Also for the Broncs, freshman Brent Wolgast (Bay City, Mich./Pendleton) shot a 78 for a 155 total tying for 29th. Sophomore
Kevin Krecicki (Hamilton/Nottingham) shot an 81 and freshman Brian
Accorsini (Hopkinton, Mass./Hopkinton) shot a 76, each totaling 157 for
37th. Junior Eric LeFante (Colts Neck) shot an 80 for a total of 164, finishing 58th.

Playing unattached was sophomore Dan Toomey (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional) who shot an 81 for a 160, placing 48th.

“The team is young,” Brewington said reflecting on the season. “I’ve tried to set a good example by having a good work ethic. My teammates are very talented and if they keep working hard, they will keep getting better. I’ve already seen all of them improve as the fall has gone on.”

“We have a young team and I think we grew a lot this semester,” Whartenby added. “I am looking forward to next semester. With
such a young team, it was difficult at times but it was a good learning
experience and we will definitely be better in the future.”

October 18, 2007

source http://www.thnt.com

Home News Tribune Online 10/18/07

In the purse she brought to her son's funeral, Gloria Rebovich carried
a letter Rutgers professor W. Carey McWilliams wrote on July 18, 1977.
It is the type of letter a proud mom might put on the fridge.

"David Rebovich has easily been the most outstanding graduate student I
have taught during my years at Rutgers. Rebovich has an exceptional
mind; his intelligence is subtle, even mercurial . . . He is a person
of rare qualities and character, who can make a major contribution to
political science," McWilliams wrote.

"That
was 30 years ago," said his mother, following the Funeral Liturgy at
St. Nicholas Byzantine Church in Perth Amboy. "They're saying the same
thing today."

Though now it can be said of Rebovich he did make a major contribution to political science.

Rebovich,
who graduated from Perth Amboy High School in 1967, died Friday at the
age of 58, suffering a massive heart attack while teaching a class at
Rider University where he was managing director of the New Jersey
Institute of Politics.

For those of us covering New Jersey
politics he was our go-to guy. A search on his name in The New York
Times archives comes up with 277 entries.

"When I called it was always, "Brian, what can I do for you?' " said Brian Thompson, the New Jersey reporter for WNBC-TV.

It was the same for the rest of us. "Rick, what can I do for you?"

"He
was the voice of reason in a very unreasonable climate," said
Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac, who attended the funeral service
Wednesday at the Costello-Greiner Funeral Home in Woodbridge.

When
McCormac was state treasurer in Trenton he understood it would be wise
to run ideas past Rebovich. "If he supported something you did, you had
it made. If he didn't, you probably shouldn't do it," McCormac said.

Lilo
Stainton got to know Rebovich when she was a reporter in the Trenton
bureau of Gannett New Jersey. She later switched sides and became press
secretary for Gov. Jon Corzine, who attended Wednesday's funeral
service.

"Dave was one of the first persons I reached out to when I came over (to the executive branch)," Stainton said.

"He
understood he could be of service," she said. "He loved the game of
politics and he had fun with it. He understood that nobody was perfect
and he loved to tweak the imperfect. I don't know how you can replace
him. No one else in New Jersey had his skills."

Thompson recalled
how Rebovich knew how to answer questions from reporters in the print
media, who could write in long sentences. "He knew how to speak to us
in sound bites," Thompson said of those in television.

"He was a teacher, even outside the classroom," said Thompson.

Rebovich's
daughter Melissa attends Rider University, and some students asked her
if there was anything they could do to help. There was. Six Rider
students were chosen to be his pall bearers.

To Charles Burton of
Edison, a senior at Rider, it was an honor. As a student at John P.
Stevens High School Burton gained an interest in politics, and from
reading the papers, he recalled, "I always saw this name David
Rebovich."

Burton, who explained that his father died when he was
young, said Rebovich would become a mentor, a father figure and a
favorite professor, who could give him the skinny on such politicians
as Edison mayor Jun Choi and former Middlesex County Democrat Party
boss John Lynch.

Another pall bearer, Nicholas Ballasy of
Warrington, Pa., explained how Rebovich helped him produce "On The
Issues," a television program produced at the university. "What you
loved most was to sit down with him, kick back and relax and talk
politics," said Ballasy, who took three courses with Rebovich, who
peppered his lectures with humor.

I had the opportunity to
experience that humor, occasionally working with him in the studio of
Jersey 101.5 on Election Night, most memorably in 2000 when we left the
studio wondering what's up with Florida?

Among those who knew
Rebovich the longest is Georgeann Dillman, who graduated one year after
Rebovich at Perth Amboy High School. While Rebovich played baseball and
basketball in high school, "His studies always came first. His goal in
life was to be a professor."

Dillman explained how he loved
history and was particularly fond of history teacher Elsie Perlin. "She
saw great things in him," Dillman said.

Corzine, who would occasionally be chastised by Rebovich in print, said of Rebovich, "He was a gentleman."

Clearly Rutgers' W. Carey McWilliams was on to something 30 years ago.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.—The Broncs swept the Seahawks in a non-conference match Thursday afternoon. “Everyone played well,” said head coach Ed Torres. “We’ve played a tough fall schedule so it was nice to get the win today. It was a morale booster.”

For Rider (3-6), junior Casey Jedlinski (Manalapan) won at first singles 6-2, 6-3 and teamed up with freshman Josh Rultenberg (Lafayette Hill, Pa./Plymouth-Whitemarsh) to win at first doubles 8-3. Rultenberg won at second singles in three sets 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

“Josh played a steady Wagner player and everything that Josh sent over got returned,” said Torres. “He hung in there and had to play overly aggressive to end the points. Josh has very good night vision because it was pretty dark when his match ended.”

“Casey and I finally put the pieces together on the doubles side,” said Rultenberg. “I give Casey more of the credit, he played better than I did and picked me up. Overall it was a team effort to get the win today.”

“Despite the fact that I was playing in darkness for the third set
of the singles, I was able to keep putting the pressure on him and I
finally wore him down,” Rultenberg added. “Knowing that we clinched the match, I was able to play more relaxed knowing the match didn’t come down to me.”

Sophomore Will Haight (Turnersville, N.J./Washington Township)
won his third singles match 6-2, 6-1 with fellow sophomore Marc Ashed
(Vineland) posting a 6-3, 6-1 win at fourth singles. Haight and Ashed teamed up for an 8-1 win at second doubles.

“Chris is an excellent doubles player,” said Torres. “As we enter the conference matches going into the spring, he is going to see more action on the doubles side. He is a good volleyer.”

“We did all right,” said Esposito. “My partner Tom [Becker] and I dominated the match and I used that momentum to carry through the singles match. It was basically serve, come to the net and put it away. It was pretty much serve and volley.”

Rider defeated the Seahawks 6-1 last fall and 7-0 in the Spring of 2006.

“Within the past few matches, we’ve battled,” Torres added. “That isn’t evident in the final team result but we have been playing better as the fall has gone on.”

The Broncs host Saint Francis-Pa. on Saturday in a non-conference match.

by South Jersey News Online http://www.nj.com

Thursday October 18, 2007, 1:53 PM

TRENTON, N.J. (AP)
-- A student at Rider University's
Westminster Choir College has been
charged over a fellow student's death, prosecutors said Thursday.

According to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office, 19-year-old
Kieran Hunt of Piscataway sold heroin to freshman Justin Warfield and
shot it up with him in the Princeton music school's parking lot on
Tuesday evening.

Prosecutors said Warfield, an 18-year-old from Maryland, had to be
taken by ambulance early Wednesday to University Hospital in Princeton,
where he was pronounced dead.

Hunt was charged on Wednesday evening with being liable for
Warfield's drug death, as well as selling him the heroin, and was freed
the same evening on $100,000 bail, prosecutors said.

Warfield's death comes seven months after another Rider freshman,
Gary DeVercelly Jr., died after drinking at a fraternity party on the
school's main campus in Lawrenceville.

October 17, 2007

EASTON, Pa.—The Broncs lost a non-conference game at Lafayette Wednesday night. “It’s the story of our season,” said head coach Lori Hussong. “We didn’t play well together. We played like individuals and when we do that we are very ineffective.”

For Rider (7-8), senior goalie Jen LoCastro (Cherry Hill/Camden
Catholic) made five saves as the Leopards out-shot the Broncs 10-3.

“We should be winning more games for ‘J-Lo’,” said Hussong. “Our offensive productivity has been just bad for lack of another word. If we don’t shoot, we can’t score. If
we don’t have the ‘one two scoring punch’ offensively and have
everybody working together then we don’t do well and we don’t win
games.”

“I think our defense needs to be tougher in the circle,” said LoCastro who entered the week 12th in the nation in saves per game, 13th in save percentage and 40th in goals against average (1.93). “We need to work together more as a team. We have no excuse even though we are young. We
need to understand that we need to come together more as a team and
support each other and we aren’t doing that on the field.”

Junior Tricia Crotty (Lewistown, Pa./Indian Valley) had two of Rider’s three shots with Lafayette goalie Kelsey Anderson making two saves for the shutout.

“It’s not that we aren’t scoring,” Hussong added. “It’s that we aren’t making improvements. We need them to do what we tell them to do each time out instead of doing it one time after being told. We are going back to our same old ways and it is frustrating. Potentially we have the ability to be excellent. It is a matter of getting the players to believe in the program and believe in our philosophy. We waited for misses, we didn’t move to the ball. We just got out-hustled tonight.”

After a scoreless first half, the Leopards scored off a penalty
corner with 23 minutes remaining for the only tally of the night. Lafayette (6-9) held a 13-5 corner advantage.

Lafayette holds a 23-6 advantage in the series with the Broncs defeating the Leopards last season by a score of 2-1.

Rider travels to Monmouth for a Northeast Conference game on Friday at 4:00pm. “We
want any chance of making the NEC playoffs and advancing, we need to
start tomorrow [Thursday] and work extremely hard in practice doing the
things that we are supposed to do.”

An 18-year-old Rider University freshman who authorities said appeared to be under the influence of drugs and alcohol died this morning after he was found unresponsive in a Princeton apartment.

Justin R. Warfield, of Columbia, Md., a theory composition major at the Lawrenceville university's Westminster Choir College, was pronounced dead at about 6 this morning at University Medical Center at Princeton, officials said. He had used heroin the night before, which was a factor in his death, authorities said tonight.

Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger

A Princeton police officer stands guard outside the apartment where Justin Warfield was found dead today.

Princeton police responding to a 5 a.m. 911 call found
Warfield (photo below)unresponsive at an off-campus apartment on Witherspoon Street,
authorities said. Warfield was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where he was
pronounced dead on arrival, authorities said.

Warfield was apparently already under the influence of drugs
and alcohol - though not yet unconscious - when he was taken to the apartment
by friends at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, said Casey A. DeBlasio, a spokeswoman
for the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office. A few hours later, she said, a
friend who was the resident of the apartment
noticed Warfield was not breathing
and called 911.

DeBlasio said Warfield used heroin Tuesday night.

"Certainly heroin contributed to his death," she said tonight.
"We're investigating whether other drugs or alcohol he may have ingested
also contributed to his death."

DeBlasio said the prosecutor is investigating where Warfield and his friends
were before he was taken to the Witherspoon Street address, a two-story home
containing side-by-side apartments.

The coffee-colored house was sealed off with crime scene tape late this
afternoon when two residents of the apartment, both male Westminster students,
returned with police to collect their belongings. Before leaving by car, the residents
- who live there with a third student - both declined to comment.

"I'm not in an emotional state to say anything," one of the
students said.

Warfield's death comes less than seven months after another 18-year-old
freshman, Gary DeVercelly of Long Beach, Calif., died from binge drinking.
DeVercelley died March 30, two days after he attended a Phi Kappa Tau party on
Rider's campus where prospective members were told to drink large quantities of
liquor.

Westminster Choir College, a Rider subsidiary, is a residential college of
music located on a 23-acre campus in Princeton. About 330 undergraduates and
110 graduate students attend.

Warfield lived on the Westminster Choir campus, less than a half mile from
the Witherspoon address. Rider spokesman Dan Higgins said Warfield was not a
member of a fraternity and that there is only one honorary fraternity on that
campus - Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

"There's no indication at this point that it was any type of hazing
incident or related to a fraternity or campus party or anything along those
lines," DeBlasio said.

Warfield graduated in June from Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Md.,
which is located midway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. He was the
drummer for a band, "The Getaways," that played gigs at clubs and
bars in both Baltimore and Washington, according to the band's Web page.

In several pictures posted on the Facebook
social networking Web site, Warfield appears behind his drum set, deep in
concentration as the band performs. Other photos show him posing with friends
before prom and with family members on the steps of a church. By late
afternoon, friends had begun to write tribute messages on the profile page
apparently kept by Warfield, praising him as a talented drummer and thoughtful
friend.

"We know that we speak for the entire University when we extend our
heartfelt sympathy to his family," Rider President Mordechai Rozanski and
Westminster Dean Robert Annis said in a statement posted on the school's Web
site.

At Warfield's home in Columbia, Md., no one answered the door this
afternoon, and neighbors said his family had left for New Jersey after receiving
the news this morning.

"He was a really nice kid. He was involved with the church. I believe
the whole family played instruments in the church choir," said Maureen
Howley, who lives across the street. "It seemed that he was very close
with his family."

by Claire Heininger (source http://www.nj.com)

Wednesday October 17, 2007, 4:33 PM

An
18-year-old Rider University freshman who authorities said appeared to
be under the influence of drugs and alcohol died this morning after he
was found unresponsive in a Princeton apartment.

Justin R. Warfield, of Columbia, Md., a student at the Lawrenceville
university's Westminster Choir College, was pronounced dead at about 6
this morning at University Medical Center at Princeton, officials said.

Princeton police responding to a 5 a.m. 911 call
found Warfield unresponsive at an apartment on Witherspoon Street, the
Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. Warfield was
taken by ambulance to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on
arrival, the prosecutor's office said.

"Although the investigation is in its early stage, it appears that
(Warfield) was under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and taken by
friends to another friend's apartment on Witherspoon Street around
11:30 p.m. Tuesday evening," the statement said. "A few hours later,
the friend and resident of the apartment noticed Warfield was not
breathing, began CPR and called 911."

An autopsy is scheduled for this afternoon, authorities said.

"We know that we speak for the entire University when we extend our
heartfelt sympathy to his family," Rider President Mordechai Rozanski
and Westminster Dean Robert Annis said in a statement posted on the school's Web site.

Warfield's death comes less than seven months after another
18-year-old freshman, Gary DeVercelly of Long Beach, Calif., died from
binge drinking. DeVercelley died March 30, two days after he attended a
Phi Kappa Tau party on Rider's campus where prospective members were
told to drink large quantities of liquor.

Westminster Choir College, a Rider subsidiary, is a residential
college of music located on a 23-acre campus in Princeton. About 330
undergraduates and 110 graduate students attend.

Warfield graduated in June from Wilde Lake High School in Columbia,
Md., which is located midway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. A
woman who answered the phone there this afternoon said the school did
not have any immediate comment on Warfield's death.

Warfield was the drummer for a band, "The Getaways," that played
gigs at clubs and bars in both Baltimore and Washington, according to
the band's Web page.

In several pictures posted on the Facebook
social networking Web site, Warfield appears behind his drum set, deep
in concentration as the band performs. Other photos show him posing
with friends before prom and with family members on the steps of a
church.

By late afternoon, friends had begun to write tribute messages on
the profile page apparently kept by Warfield, praising him as a
talented drummer and thoughtful friend.

He and his brother, Joshua, were also members of the Maryland State
Boychoir. According to the Boychoir, Justin Warfield was seriously
injured in car accident in 2004, but fully recovered to run on the high
school track team.

We are deeply saddened to inform you of the death of one of our
students, 18-year old Westminster Choir College freshman Justin R.
Warfield. We know that we speak for the entire University when we
extend our heartfelt sympathy to his family.

Justin was pronounced dead this morning at University Medical Center
at Princeton. We are fully cooperating with all officials investigating
the cause of death and will share information with you as it is
learned. There are currently no other details available.

Our counseling and campus ministry staff will be available for all
students, faculty and staff on both campuses. We will plan a memorial
service for Justin and will inform you of the specific time and
location.

Mordechai RozanskiPresident

Robert Annis Dean, Westminster Choir College

College Student's Death Investigated

Source http://www.6abc.com

October 17, 2007 - Investigators are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine what caused an 18-year-old college student to suddenly die.

The student attended the Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey.

Rider University has identified the student as Justin Warfield of Columbia, Maryland.
The Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said Warfield was under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Officials said he was taken by friends to another friend's apartment on Witherspoon Street around 11:30 Tuesday night.
A few hours later, the friend and resident of the apartment noticed Warfield was not breathing, began CPR and called 911.
The student was transported to Princeton Medical Center and pronounced dead around 6:00 this morning.

October 14, 2007

Funeral services and a campus memorial have been scheduled for David Rebovich, the well-known New Jersey political pundit and Rider University professor who died of a heart attack while giving a class lecture on Friday.

Photo: David Rebovich

Visiting for Rebovich, 58, of Hamilton, will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday and from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Costello-Greiner Funeral Home, 44 Green St., Woodbridge. Parastas services will be at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

October 12, 2007

A Rider University professor who was well-known as a
commentator on New Jersey politics died this morning of a heart attack.

David Rebovich, the managing director of the Rider
University Institute for New Jersey Politics and frequent media commentator, was
58.

"David suffered a massive heart attack this morning
while teaching his Political Science 102 Class in the Fine Arts Building on the
Lawrenceville campus," Rider President Mordechai Rozanski said in a
statement released by the university. "The Lawrence Township ambulance was
called and administered CPR before taking him to Helene Fuld Hospital in
Trenton, where he died a short time later."

Rebovich, who grew up in Perth Amboy and was a resident of
Hamilton, earned a BA from Johns Hopkins Univeristy and an MA and PhD from
Rutgers University in political science.

"David Rebovich was a widely respected presence in New
Jersey's political scene, offering insight that was universally acknowledged as
nonpartisan, fair and vital to the public discourse," Gov. Jon Corzine
said in a statement. "During a lifetime in politics, David Rebovich's
enthusiasm and idealism never waned."

Rebovich wrote a blog on politicsnj.com and was often quoted
on TV, radio and newspapers, including The Star-Ledger.

"David Rebovich's passing leaves a major void in New
Jersey politics," state Republican Chairman Tom Wilson said in a
statement. "He was an honest, perceptive and passionate observer of
politics here and his opinion was deservedly sought after. David was the rare
academic whose insights reflected the complex realities of politics. His level
of understanding, insight and knowledge made him the undisputed Dean of
political observers in New Jersey."

"David Rebovich was one of a kind," said Joe
Cryan, chairman of the Democratic State Committee. "He was an academic who
understood the real world of New Jersey politics and he was a political
scientist who knew that politics is much more than science.

October 11, 2007

BETHLEHEM, Pa.--In a tale of two halves,
the Broncs lost a two-goal lead, giving up four second half goals,
falling in a non-conference game at Lehigh Wednesday night. “I’ve
always said a 2-0 lead is the most dangerous lead you can have and
unfortunately, I was right tonight,” said head coach Lori Hussong.

Rider (6-6) opened the scoring 14 minutes
into the game with senior Emily Egan (Gibbsboro, N.J./Eastern) hitting
the back of the cage. For Egan, it was her first goal of the season in
only her second game after returning from a stress fracture and a torn
ACL that kept her sidelined for the last year. Junior Diana Celebre
(Lake Grove, N.Y./Sachem) assisted on the goal.

“Diana made a great move and there was an
opportunity to make an offensive play and I went for it,” said Egan
who’s last game was against Lehigh on October 8, 2006 before being
sidelined with a stress fracture missing the final eight games of the
season. Egan tore an ACL in the spring causing her to miss the first
10 games this season. “It feels great to be back on the field and able
to help the team. It was a long road back.”

“Having Emily back in the lineup is huge
for us,” said Hussong. “Her effort, the senior leadership that she
brings to the team, it is just a big lift to have her back and it was
very emotional when she scored tonight.”

Freshman Lindsay Rajeski (New Egypt,
N.J./New Egypt) notched her third goal of the season two minutes later
off assists from junior Julie Vaccarelli (Oceanport, N.J./Shore
Regional) and freshman Margaret Ecke (New Egypt, N.J./New Egypt) and
Rider led 2-0 at the half.

The Mountain Hawks scored two minutes into
the second half and tied the game four minutes later. Lehigh
(6-6) notched the eventual game-winner with 19 minutes left in the game
and added an insurance goal with just over two minutes left.

“I’m disappointed with our effort in the
second half,” Hussong said. “Even in the first half, Lehigh was taking
it to us and we weren’t defending very well. Lehigh got a quick goal
and the momentum to start the second half and really took it to us. If
we would have battled and shown effort for the ’50-50’ plays, I
wouldn’t be so upset. But we’ve had a reoccurring theme this season
not making those plays and that’s not acceptable. It comes down to a
point where the ‘Rider pride, the Rider way of playing field hockey’
has to show and that wasn’t there tonight.”

The Mountain Hawks out-shot Rider 9-5 in the second half and 13-11 for the game.

“You don’t ever want to lose but we are
fortunate to have the opportunity from a non-conference game to learn
from our mistakes,” Egan said. “We will get back to work at practice
tomorrow (Thursday) and we will make sure we are ready for the
conference game on Friday.”

Bronc senior goalie Jen LoCastro (Cherry
Hill/Camden Catholic) made five saves as Lehigh held a 12-3 advantage
in penalty corners including an 8-0 second half advantage.

“Jen kept us in the game,” Hussong added.
“If she doesn’t make some great plays, the game could have really
gotten out of hand. Our defense didn’t do anything to help her out and
she deserved a better fate tonight. The score is not reflective of
J-Lo’s effort.”

In a battle of unbeaten conference rivals,
Rider hosts defending conference champion Lock Haven in a Northeast
Conference game on Friday at 4:00pm.

“Every game from here on out is
important,” Hussong added. “There are inherent things that we need to
do better and with the conference game on Friday, we need to figure out
the mistakes we made tonight and more importantly, correct them going
forward.”

October 09, 2007

DOVER, Del.--Whether you call it sudden
death, sudden victory or Golden Goal, offensive players love it and
defensive players don’t. Rider defender Lauren Mahar wanted it over
quick. “It was going to be a long 10 or 20 minutes so I took the free
kick and I just put it upper 90 (top corner of net).”

Junior Lauren Mahar (Barnegat,
N.J./Colonia) scored her first goal of the season just 25 seconds into
overtime to give Rider a victory at Delaware State Tuesday night.
Mahar took a free kick from 40 yards out to win the game on the golden
goal. “When we got the free kick we discussed a play,” Mahar said, “and
I said ‘no, I think I’m just going to go for it’ and it went in.”

A mid-fielder, Mahar moved to the back
position three games ago, replacing her injured twin sister Erin, who
is out with a broken wrist. Erin scored her first collegiate goal
earlier this year. “Erin got her first one this year and I felt I had
to get one to do her proud,” Lauren said. It was the second career goal
for Lauren.

“The first half we were attacking a lot,
really going at them, but we were a bit unlucky in that nothing was
going in,” Mahar said.

“It wasn’t one of our more stellar
performances but I’m very pleased that we came out with urgency in
overtime,” said head coach Kevin Long.

Junior Kayla Devlin (Clifton,
N.J./Clifton) scored on a corner kick from freshman Lauren Musumeci
(Annandale, N.J./North Hunterdon) in the 10th minute of play to give
Rider (5-4-3) a 1-0 lead.

“Kayla scored early and we thought things
were going to go our way,” Long said. “She had an injury (leg) early in
the season and I think it shows in her play that she is getting
healthy. Hopefully it continues and we’ll see her get more goals. We’d
love to see her find the net more often.”

It was Devlin’s fifth career goal, and the team-high 13th point for Musumeci.

Rider freshman goalkeeper Alex Post
(Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks West) made four saves and made Devlin’s
goal hold up until Delaware State (2-7-1) scored in the 85th minute to
send the game into overtime. “Alex played well,” Long said. “I don’t
blame her on their goal. Anytime it is one on one in the back the
offensive player has the advantage.”

“It doesn’t matter what team you play, if
you make a mistake they are going to capitalize,” Mahar said. “We found
that out the hard way today. I’m just glad we came out hard after that.”

Rider out-shot Delaware State 16-9.
“Throughout the game we had a lot of chances,” Long said. “We dominated
play however they had some great forwards who were crafty and really
fast and causing problems throughout the game, and they got in on us to
tie the score late. They were getting in more and more as the game went
on and finally scored.”

Rider defeated Delaware State 3-0 at Rider
last season in the only other meeting between these two teams. “They
are a much improved team,” Long said. “I really take my hat off to
them.”

The contest was the final non-conference
game of the regular season. Rider went 4-3-3 in non-conference games
this year. “I think that’s great,” Long said. “We had a tough out of
conference schedule and the team responded very well. I’m very pleased
with that. The team should be very proud of that. Now we want a winning
record in the conference.”

Rider travels to Loyola for a Metro
Atlantic Athletic Conference game Saturday. The Rider defenders won’t
mind if it goes overtime, as long as the result is the same.

Tramontana, a Vineland native and marking
back for the Broncs, leads his team with four goals, including two in a
4-1 win over LaSalle on Sept. 29. He recently was named co-player of
the week in the Metro Atlantic Conference.

October 01, 2007

Home News Tribune Online 10/1/07

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) … Two students charged with aggravating hazing in
the binge-drinking death of a Rider University student have been
accepted into a program that could keep their records clean and help
them avoid prison sentences.

Dominic Olsen, 21, of Kenilworth, and Adriano DiDonato, 22, of
Princeton, were allowed into the pretrial program on Monday by Superior
Court Judge Mitchell Ostrer.

The men, both officers in Phi
Kappa Tau fraternity, which has since been disbanded on campus, agreed
to three years of probation, alcohol counseling, fines and penalties of
about $200 each. If they do not meet those conditions, they could still
face trials.

A third man who was charged in the case,
21-year-old Michael Torney of Randolph was not eligible for the
pretrial program and turned down a plea deal from prosecutors. No trial
date has been set for his case.

The tragedy began on March 28.

Gary DeVercelly, an 18-year-old fraternity pledge from Long Beach,
Calif., drank most of a bottle of vodka over 25 minutes … about a shot
every one to two minutes.

He had a heart attack and died from alcohol poisoning two days later.

The case got widespread attention largely because of the legal maneuvering that followed.

The three students were charged with aggravated hazing. So were two
officials at the Lawrenceville university. They were believed to be the
first ever indicted in the U.S. because of a student hazing death.

In August, charges against the administrators … Dean of Students
Anthony Campbell and Director of Fraternity Life Ada Badgley … were
dropped.

September 29, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE--In the final non-conference
game of the season, the Broncs look ready for the Metro Atlantic
Athletic Conference portion of the schedule, having now won five of
their last six games. “Yea, I think we’re ready for MAAC play,” said
Rider head coach Russ Fager after the Broncs defeated La Salle Saturday
afternoon.

Sophomore Nico Tramontana (Vineland/Sacred Heart) scored two goals,
giving him a team-high four goals on the season. “Nico is quite a
character,” Fager said. “He is one of the most comical guys we’ve had
on the team in years. He has a flamboyant personality and is very
gifted technically on the field. He has raised his level dramatically
since last year.”

Tramontana received a corner kick from senior Lee Tomasso
(Westfield) and scored just 3:27 into the game for a 1-0 lead. “I
fanned on one shot earlier, and I did that a few times this year, so I
really had to concentrate real hard on that shot,” Tramontana said.

Tramontana scored again with 16 minutes left in the second half to
build a 4-0 lead. “I was just trying to get it on goal and maybe
someone would deflect it in,” Tramontana said, “but I got under it more
than I thought. I took a peak at the net and just flicked it toward the
far post. The goalie just barley nipped it and luckily it went in.”

Tomasso had two assists for the Broncs. His cross hit sophomore
Kevin Juska (Wall) in the chest, went off a defender and caromed to
junior Anthony Gilbert (Jamison, Pa./Central Bucks South), who scored
to give Rider a 2-0 lead in the 11th minute of play.

Rider freshman Tom Antonucci (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South)
came in off the bench and scored his second goal in the last three
games on an assist from freshman Andrew Cotes (Selden, N.Y./Newfield)
just 41 seconds into the second half.

“Andrew Cotes has to be one of the biggest surprises we’ve had in a
long time,” Fager said. “He has tremendous speed, he sees the game
well. When I saw him in club ball last year I thought he’d be a nice
player for us eventually but I didn’t think he was going to come into
it this way and as fast. (Freshman Jim) Bradley (of Sewell/Washington
Township) has been playing very solid for us up front. He scored some
goals for us early on this year. Antonucci is a
good, strong player. He’s playing up front now because that’s where we
need him and (freshman Tom) Dunn (of Westampton/Rancocas Valley) missed
last year with an injury and is now playing well. When you are playing
four or five first-year players and getting these kinds of results, it
just means there is more pressure on the upperclassmen to come out and
perform.”

Rider junior goalkeeper Randall Zapolski (Lawrence) made eight
saves, including six in the first half. Zapolski served as a back-up
for two years behind All-MAAC goalkeeper Dan Riverso, who is now an
assistant coach. “It’s a lot different for me this year,” Zapolski
said. “You get a little shocked at first, used to sitting on the bench.
It makes practice better, more excited. It makes life a little better,
knowing you are going to play on game day. Dan (Riverso) is still
keeping me on my toes.”

“Randy is in his third year and getting the chance to play and he
has five wins already,” Fager said. “He’s been doing a good job for us.
He’s learning game by game, he’s maturing nicely.”

La Salle (2-4-1) out-shot Rider 17-11 and ruined the shutout with a goal by Kevin Lydic with less than 14 minutes left to play. Rider
defeated La Salle 2-1 in Philadelphia last season, and the Broncs are
now 8-10-1 against the Explorers since the series began in 1966.

Rider began the season 0-3, but now heads into conference play with
a winning record. “The difference between the first three games and the
last six is now everyone is getting used to each other, getting used to
the formation, and everyone is finding their own role,” Zapolski said.
“We’re just starting to realize what is important and what is needed to
win the game. We’re starting to mesh well.”

“I don’t think we’ve played a bad game all year,” Fager said. “We’re
getting people into better spots now. We’re probably working a little
harder. We’re a little bit closer knit as a team. Everybody is pulling
for each other. Everyone realizes that somewhere along the way they are
going to get their chance at glory.”

On Saturday Nico was in his glory. “We’re trying to change last
year’s attitude and the first few games this year we hadn’t really done
that,” Tramontana said. “But we’re obviously doing that now. The
hustle, especially on defense, is the difference. Everyone is working
for each other, listening to each other, and it is paying off big time.”

Rider travels to Marist Friday for the first of nine consecutive
MAAC games. “I can not wait until the MAAC games start,” Tramontana
said.

“That is what we’ve been working on all year,” Zapolski said. “This
is all for getting ready for the MAAC season. We haven’t done anything
in the MAAC yet this year.”

September 27, 2007

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.--The Broncs were swept by Marist in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match Thursday night. “Marist came out very fast and ready to play,” said head coach Emily Ahlquist. “We started slow and had to fight back.”

“We played a strong second game but could not finish,” Ahlquist added. “We’ve been playing well in spots but have been unable to finish those games without giving up the lead. We just have to continue to battle through and get better. It is a testament to our competitiveness that we are still battling.”

The Poughkeepsie trip on the conference schedule will always have special meaning to Ahlquist who came
to Rider from Marist, where she was the head volleyball coach and
Assistant Academic Athletic Advisor from 1995 to 1998. Ahlquist led
Marist to a best-ever fourth place post-season finish in the MAAC in
1998.

“Playing the Red Foxes is almost like coming home a little bit,” said the Minnesota native Ahlquist. “My in-laws are from the area and I also got to see the club coaches that I used to coach with. So the trip does have some special meaning having spent four seasons at Marist.”

Rider has lost seven straight and travels to Fairfield for a MAAC match against the Stags Friday night.

September 25, 2007

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.--The Broncs had a two-game winning streak snapped at Temple, falling in a non-conference game Tuesday night. “We
had chances to clear the ball on all three goals and didn’t and Temple
able to capitalize on the mistakes,” said head coach Lori Hussong.

Temple got on the board 11 minutes into the game on a one-timer by
Dannah Brehm and scored nine minutes later off a penalty corner with
Jamie Adams hitting the back of the cage.

Adams scored again 17 minutes into the second half before Rider freshman Lindsay Rajeski (New Egypt, N.J./New Egypt) scored her first collegiate goal as time expired off a penalty corner. Fellow rookie and former high school teammate Margaret Ecke (New Egypt, N.J./New Egypt) along with junior Julie Vaccarelli (Oceanport, N.J./Shore Regional) added assists on the Bronc goal.

“I was excited to hit the ball on the final play,” said Rajeski. “I’ve been playing with Margaret [Ecke] since the sixth grade and we play really well together. I have a lot of confidence in her, especially when she is feeding me the ball.”

“It was good to score,” Hussong said. “The
players never gave up and even though the goal as time expired made it
three to one, you may be in a one-goal game or a tie game and that
final play may matter more so it was important that we were able to
execute the play. Three to one is a lot better than three to nothing.”

The Owls, who defeated Rider 1-0 last season and have defeated the
Broncs all six times in the series, improved to 9-3 and may crack the
national top 20 rankings having received votes in the national poll
this past week.

“It was awesome for the kids to see and experience this level of play,” Hussong added. “Every player on Temple’s roster is strong and that’s where we want to be as we head into the conference season. That is why we schedule them because they are a solid program.”

“Temple is a very good team with a lot of great players,” Rajeski added. “It
was good to play against them because they are a great challenge and we
gave them all we could to challenge back and playing teams like Temple
can only make us better.”

“The score was a little misleading,” Hussong said. “We had some opportunities on the offensive end, when their goalie was down and we couldn’t tip it in. You get a goal or two there and it is a different ball game.”

September 23, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE--Junior Tricia Crotty (Lewistown, Pa./Indian Valley)
scored 3:18 into overtime to give Rider a Northeast Conference win over
Quinnipiac Sunday. “This was a good way to start the conference play,”
said Rider head coach Lori Hussong. “I thought the whole game we played
really tough, tougher than we’ve played all season. It was a good
game.”

Rider (4-3, 1-0 NEC) took a 1-0 lead with 12 minutes left in the
second half on a goal by senior Steph Walker (Lyman, Maine/Massabesic),
her third of the season and the 32nd of her career. “Someone
(junior Diana Celebre of Lake Grove, N.Y./Sachem High) shot and it was
saved and the rebound came out to me,” Walker said.

In overtime, the Bobcats had a chance to win the game when a shot
went past Rider senior goalie Jen LoCastro (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden
Catholic) but was saved by junior defender Julie Vaccarelli (Oceanport,
N.J./Shore Regional). “Julie made a terrific play on that ball,”
Hussong said. ‘She had a great game today.”

“I was playing down low and the girl came in and I just swept it out,” Vaccarelli said..

Quinnipiac (1-6, 0-0 NEC) tied the scored with just 28 seconds left
in regulation on a goal by Megan McCreedy off of a penalty corner. “It
was disappointing (when Quinnipiac scored), but we knew we couldn’t
give up,” Vaccarelli said. “Everyone worked so hard. We all knew how
important the conference games are so I think we had a lot more
intensity today.”

“When they scored it really fired us up,” Walker said. “We knew when we came out in overtime we were going to win.”

In overtime, teams play seven on seven, opposed to 11 on 11 during
regulation, to create more scoring chances. “Crotty’s style of game is
made for overtime,” Hussong said. “She is so fast and is tough as nails in pressure situations. She’s mentally tough and able to get the job done for us.”

“I think the seven on seven in overtime suits my style because it
gives me more room to just go,” said Crotty, who last spring as a
sprinter won a silver and two bronze medals at the MAAC Track &
Field Championships. “I like overtime, but I would rather win in
regulation. I like the intensity of overtime, and I like the feeling
that when you score the game ends and you win.”

Just three minutes into the extra period, Crotty scooped up a loose
ball in her own circle and literally went end to end, scoring her
team-high fourth goal of the season and the 26th of her
career. “I was just trying to get to the cage as fast as I could and
get it past the goalie,” Crotty said. “I knew it was a fast break and
all I saw was field. I knew that people were behind me so I tried to go
to the goal and get a shot off and if it was saved there would be
someone there for the rebound.”

There was no rebound.

Crotty enjoys overtime, as most offensive players do. It is
different for a defender. “Overtime is nerve-racking,” Vaccarelli said.
“There are a lot more fast breaks and it is harder to get organized on
defense. Thankfully the overtime wasn’t too long today. The shorter the
better.”

The Broncs are 2-0 in 2007 in overtime games having defeated
Appalachian State 4-3 four minutes into the extra period on September 8.

Rider out-shot Quinnipiac 13-8. LoCastro made three saves, while Jenna Grossman made nine saves for the Bobcats.

Rider and Quinnipiac were both NEC semi-finalists last season. The
two teams have now met 20 times since the series began in 1997, with
both teams winning ten. Quinnipiac won 3-1 in Connecticut last year.
Rider won 2-0 in 2005 at home. Rider beat Quinnipiac 2-0 in the 2002
NEC Title Game.

“Every game is important because we want to have a good record but we had to show who we are in the conference,” Walker said.

September 22, 2007

WASHINGTON, D.C.--It isn't how you start, it is how you finish that counts. Despite giving up a goal in the first minute of play, the Broncs came back to upset George Washington Saturday afternoon. "This was a great win," said Rider head coach Russ Fager. "They have a good team so this was a great day."

Rider freshman Tom Antonucci (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South) scored his first collegiate goal on a header from six yards out to give Rider (3-4) a 2-1 lead with 5:32 left in the first half.

The goal came off of a pass from senior Lee Tomasso (Westfield) on a free kick. "We played a serve in from Lee, it was a set piece, one of their players deflected it and Tom Antonucci ran back and headed the ball into the net," Fager said. "It was a timely place to be and a good place to finish."

"Lee hit the ball to the back post and I was being marked around the 'pk' area," Antonucci said. "I jumped backwards and headed it in while I was falling down. It was just a great ball by Lee."

Junior Colin Jennings (Wall) scored his first goal as a Bronc to tie the score at 1-1 14 minutes into the game. Jennings had two of Rider's four shots for the game. "I don't think Colin actually scored that goal, although they gave it to him," Fager said. "It was about a 50 yard serve from Colin that went in off of a defender's head. They didn't call it an 'own goal' so Colin was credited with a long one."

"Everybody has been working real hard and that goal rewarded everybody for the hard work," Jennings said. "They got one early so I felt we deserved a lucky one too. GW has a very good squad, fully funded with the full amount of scholarships, so coming down here and stealing one from them is a good win."

Reminiscent of last season, GW (3-3) scored just 13 seconds into the game. "They came out playing long ball and that quick goal was very reminiscent of last year," Fager said. Last season GW took a 1-0 lead over Rider just 18 seconds into the game and won 2-1 at Rider. In that game, Rider came back and tied the score just 18 seconds later, and the Colonials scored the game-winner late in the contest.

Senior co-captain Mark Ockenhouse (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) was named the Player of the Game by Fager. "The first thing that went through my head was 'not again'," Ockenhouse said of the early GW goal. "I think they actually scored quicker this year, which I didn't think was possible. They hit a long ball down the left side, a quick ball to the right and we had a miss-communication between the backs."

The Colonials out-shot Rider 18-4, including 10-0 in the second half. GW out-shot Rider 8-4 in the first half, but both teams had three shots on goal in the first 45 minutes, when all of the scoring took place. "They put a lot of pressure on our backs," Antonucci said, "and it seemed like they were attacking with a lot of guys."

Rider junior goalkeeper Randall Zapolski (Lawrence) made three saves. "Randy played extremely well," Fager said. "Randy played incredible," Ockenhouse said. "That's the best I've seen him play all season. He was coming off his lines, organizing from the back, making great saves. I can't say enough about him."

Greg Yahr made one save for GW. GW had 12 corner kicks to Rider's one.

Rider travels to NJIT Tuesday evening. The Broncs will again try to finish strong, even if they get off to a slow start.

September 18, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE—Six nationally televised games highlight the 2007-08
Rider University men’s basketball schedule, which begins November 10 in
Kentucky at Murray State.

“We are extremely excited about this year’s schedule,” said Tommy
Dempsey, the former interim coach who begins his second season as the
Bronc head coach with a 16-15 record. “The national television exposure
is tremendous for our basketball program, Rider University, and the
MAAC.”

The schedule features the nationally televised Old Spice Classic in
Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex, beginning with a 2:00 pm
Thanksgiving Day game against North Carolina State.

In addition to the three nationally televised games at Disney, the
non-conference opponents include Murray State, Drexel, Delaware,
Binghamton and New Jersey rivals Rutgers, Fairleigh Dickinson, Monmouth
and NJIT.

“Our schedule includes some programs that we have had some great
games against over the years,” Dempsey said, “as well as an opportunity
to play five of the other seven Division I programs in New Jersey.”

The home opener weekend is November 17-19 when Rider hosts Delaware
Saturday afternoon and Fairleigh Dickinson Monday evening before
heading to Disney. Along with NC State the Old Spice Classic field
includes Central Florida, George Mason, Kansas State, Penn State, South
Carolina and Villanova.

Rider beings the all-important Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
portion of the schedule in Western New York in early December at
Niagara and Canisius. The MAAC schedule is highlighted by an ESPN2 game
with Siena to start off February.

“We expect the MAAC to be a very strong league this year so we felt
it was important to challenge ourselves early in the season,” Dempsey
said. “When you play against really good programs you learn a lot about
yourselves.”

For the third consecutive season Rider will take part in ESPN’s BracketBuster in February.

The MAAC schedule concludes with a pair of home games, including Saint Peter’s February 29 when ESPNU comes to the Broncs’ Zoo. The MAAC tournament moves back to Albany, NY March 7-10.

Palmentieri led the
group as he took fifth place in 26:06.50, followed by Gordonov in sixth
(26:07.00), Miehe in seventh (26:12.30), Crum in ninth (26:26.80) and
Snihur in 10th (26:27.40). Sophomore Jayram Sataluri (Holmdel, N.J.)
and junior Brandon Smith (Colonia, N.J.) rounded out the scoring for
the Scarlet Knights with Sataluri taking 11th in 26:29.50, while Smith
placed 16th in 26:58.80.

September 15, 2007

Men: Rider University 4, New Jersey Institute of Technology 3Women: New Jersey Institute of Technology 6, Rider University 1

LAWRENCEVILLE—The Broncs opened the 2007 fall season with the men
winning and the women losing to the New Jersey Institute of Technology
Saturday afternoon in a non-conference match. “N.J.I.T. had the better team on the women’s side,” said head coach Ed Torres. “On
the men’s side, it was an exciting match and came down to freshman Josh
Rultenberg winning his first collegiate match when the team score was
tied at three all. He played very well and beat a strong player in a pressure situation. Everyone was watching his match because it was the final one of the day.”

“The match went really well today,” said Leone, one of three seniors on the 16 player roster. “Mike and I have good chemistry and we played a strong match. On
the singles side, I was down a set and 4-2 in the second and I was able
to make a few adjustments and won the next 10 games to close out my
match. My opponent was taking the net away early and I was able to overcome that by keeping the ball deep. I made him play on the baseline which gave me the advantage.”

“My first college match, it was exciting to play it,” said Rultenberg. “You could not have written it any better having the outcome come down to my match. I knew going in that my match might be important and as everyone started watching, I knew I had to win it. I like playing with pressure on me so it worked out. I was glad that I was able to pull out the win for the team.”

“I was pleased with the men’s performance,” Torres said. “You had two rookies in the lineup and they both won and we had a strong veteran presence with the other four players. They went through a lot last season going 3-20 and all of that experience and hard work is going to start paying dividends.”

“We are all excited about the team this year,” Leone added. “A good example is the play of the freshmen today. Rultenberg and Esposito both won and with Rultenberg’s match the deciding one, he won without any drama which is big for us. I thought he stepped up in what could been a very tough spot, especially for a freshman. He held it together even though everyone was watching and won in an intense situation.”

“Winning the match 4-3 on the men’s side is big for us,” Torres added. “That
was a kind of match that we may have lost 5-2 or 6-1 last year so you
can see that the team is stronger for the adversity that they went
through last year.”

“It’s exciting,” said Leone. “Last year everyone had to move up and play in positions that they weren’t necessary ready for on the collegiate level. This
year, we are all returning and with that experience along with the new
freshman in the lineup and with the other new players on the roster
pushing us to get better, we are definitely stronger this season.”

The men’s team hosts Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference rival
Marist on Wednesday with the women returning to action hosting Monmouth
on Thursday.

September 12, 2007

In an effort to keep the Rider community informed about the e-mailed
bomb threat for September 11, I am pleased to report that there have
been no incidents and all remains calm on both campuses. We continue to
be vigilant in our effort to keep our community safe and ask everyone
to maintain awareness of their surroundings and to report suspicious
activity to Public Safety at extension 7777.

The increased security at Rider, which began at 8 p.m. last night
and will continue throughout today and tonight, has thus far worked
well. I appreciate your patience and cooperation as we continue to keep
the main entrance closed and direct all traffic to the south entrance
of the Lawrenceville campus through 6 a.m. tomorrow. Please make sure
to keep your Rider ID with you so that the identification process at
the gate moves as quickly as possible.

When the University first received reports of the threatening
e-mail, the RiderAlert system was put into effect and worked well in
creating awareness of the situation among all who had signed up for the
program. In order to have even more members of our community covered, I
would ask anyone who has not yet registered for RiderAlert to do so now
by clicking here: http://www.rider.edu/rideralert. Links are also available on the faculty, staff and student portals on our Web site.

The higher education press has confirmed today that, in addition to
Rider, numerous other universities nationwide and in New Jersey
received similar threats, including several yesterday. Thus far, there
have been no incidents reported at any of these institutions, and all
classes are being held as scheduled.

Thank you again for your understanding and cooperation. I also thank
our Public Safety officers and the Lawrence Township and Princeton
Borough police for their assistance. I will continue to keep you
informed about any new developments.

September 11, 2007

PRINCETON—Despite 19 assists
from freshman Amanda Piccolini (St. Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville),
the Broncs were mauled by the Tigers in three straight games on Tuesday
night in a non-conference match. “It was good to play against a high
caliber team like Princeton,” said assistant coach Michelle Walsh.
“They didn’t make too many mistakes and took advantage of every error
that we made.”

In the shortest road trip of the season for Rider (1-8), Princeton (2-2) defeated the Broncs 30-14, 30-20, 30-19.

“The match gives a marking point for where we need to be going
into conference play this weekend,” said head coach Emily Ahlquist.
“Princeton is the defending Ivy League champions and they showed why
tonight. With that said, in spots, I think we played hard but we need
to play better together.”

For the players today was the first time with classes in
session and a match on the same day and according to Ahlquist, the team
received an education from the Tigers.

“Everyone on the roster, top to bottom, better have picked up
something from this match,” Ahlquist said. “We need to take what we
learned from Princeton and the experiences of the day and move forward
into the conference. It’s not going to get any easier and we have to
push through. We need to practice at a faster speed and need to make
adjustments better on the fly.”

Princeton hit for an attack percentage of .405 with 50 kills to Rider’s 26.

“We saw a great exhibition from the Tigers on how to end
points,” Ahlquist added. “As soon as we made a mistake, they pounced
on it and I think we needed to see a team like that to reinforce how
important it is to communicate and make adjustments.”

The Broncs take the annual trip to Buffalo this weekend,
opening the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference schedule with matches
against Canisius on Saturday and Niagara on Sunday.

September 10, 2007

On Monday afternoon, September 10th, Rider and a number of other
colleges and universities across the country, received an email bomb
threat for Tuesday, September 11th. Rider University officials worked
closely with Lawrence Township police, Princeton Borough police and the
FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force to assess the risk to the Rider
community.

Because the e-mail contained no specific Rider target, and more than
60 universities have received similar false threats in recent weeks,
including four in New Jersey, the FBI indicated that they do not view
this as a credible threat. Nevertheless, out of concern for the safety
of the Rider community on both campuses, we have increased our security
measures.

While the University will remain open on both campuses for all
classes tonight and for all day and evening classes tomorrow, access to
the Lawrenceville campus will be restricted. Beginning at 8 p.m.
Monday, the main entrance will be closed, and all traffic will be
limited to the South entrance. The South entrance security kiosk will
be staffed by University public safety and Lawrence Township police
officers. In addition, there will be increased patrols on both campuses
by public safety and local law enforcement officers. We ask all members
of the Rider community to maintain awareness of their surroundings, and
to report any suspicious activity to public safety at extension 7777 or
609-896-5029. We will continue to keep the University community
informed when there is additional information.

September 09, 2007

ANNAPOLIS, Md.--Sophomore Alison Brody
(Alexandria, Va./West Potomac) scored two goals and freshman Kara
Perkoski (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) had three assists to lead Rider to
victory over Longwood in the second round of the Navy Soccer
Invitational, held at the United States Naval Academy. Rider (2-0-2)
went 1-0-1 in the tournament for the second time in two tournaments
this season. “It’s exciting,” said Rider head coach Kevin Long. “We’re
in a very good position and the team has played well over the last four
games.”

Brody gave Rider a 1-0 lead 10:10 into the
game from just eight yards out after a crossing pass from Perkoski.
“Her first goal came on a one-time shot from Kara,” Long said. “A great
set up. One of our best goals, by design, this season. Kara had her
best game as a Bronc so far today. She was around the ball a lot and
ended up setting up three of our goals.”

“Kara had the ball on the end line at the
end of the 18 (yard mark) and split it about eight yards away and I
just hit it right below the cross bar above the keeper,” Brody said,
describing the first goal of the game.

“Someone played me a great ball down the
sideline and Ali was calling for it at the top of the box and I just
played it to her,” Perkoski said. “She made a great run.”

Freshman Lauren Musumeci (Annandale,
N.J./North Hunterdon), the MAAC Rookie of the Week last week, scored
her third goal of the season to give the Broncs a 2-0 lead in the 15th
minute of play. “I passed it back to Lauren (junior Lauren Mahar of
Barnegat, N.J./Colonia),” said Perkoski, “who one-timed it in to Moose
(Musumeci) and Moose played it into the goal. It was a nice cross by
Lauren (Mahar).”

Brody scored again, her fifth career goal,
on a breakaway after a pass from Perkoski to take a 3-0 lead mid-way
through the first half. “I was about 25 yards away, I passed out wide
to Kara, and when two defenders went to her she split them again and I
just put it in the far corner,” Brody said. “I wanted to score more. It
was still the first half and I didn’t want us to get comfortable with
the lead.”

Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened.

Longwood (1-3) scored with three minutes
left in the first period to cut the lead to 3-1 and got within one goal
just six minutes into the second half. “We out-played them so much I
think we got comfortable with the lead, and that wasn’t good,” Brody
said.

FARMVILLE, Va.—The Broncs lost a
non-conference game at Longwood Sunday. “We never really got on track
today,” said head coach Lori Hussong. “We got beat to the ball all
over the field.”

Rider (2-3) junior forward Diana Celebre
(Lake Grove, N.Y./Sachem) scored her first goal of the season off a
loose ball rebound 22 minutes in to tie the game at one but it wasn’t
enough as the Lancers scored twice in the last 20 minutes of the game
to seal the win.

“It was a very physical game,” said
Hussong who saw her team whistled for one green card and two yellows.
“We seemed to back off a little when it started getting physical.”

“It’s a concern that we aren’t keeping the
ball out of our circle,” said Hussong. “We are still young and
inexperienced back there and we need to use each game to gain the
experience needed to improve. If the team listens to the adjustments
we need to make, we have a chance to play very well, if they play as
individuals the system won’t work that way.”

The Broncs travel to Rhode Island September 16.

“Anyone could have won the game going into
the second half,” Hussong added. “Longwood had a 14-5 shot advantage
but it was still tied. We just didn’t execute the adjustments we
needed to make that we talked about at halftime. They out hustled us
and we didn’t play smart.”

September 08, 2007

FARMVILLE, Va.—Freshman Michaela Franey took a pass from junior
Tricia Crotty (Lewistown, Pa./Indian Valley) and scored four minutes
into overtime to give Rider a come from behind 4-3 win over Appalachian
State in a non-conference game on the campus of Longwood University
Saturday afternoon. “It wasn’t pretty but we will take it,” said head
coach Lori Hussong.

“Kristy Kelly (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) made a great defensive save
to setup the winning goal,” Hussong said. “The ball was right on the
goal line and she swept it off to freshman Amanda Barretta (Roseland,
N.J./West Essex). Barretta made a great one on one move and passed it
to Crotty who setup the goal.” Kelly had two defensive saves in the
game.

Franey (York, Maine/York), the Northeast Conference Rookie of the
Week last week, is making an early bid for the award again with a goal
and assist in the win. Franey leads the Broncs in scoring with six
points.

“Tricia [Crotty] gave me a pass but it was at a weird angle,” Franey
remembered. “I just shot it and it went in. Everyone was surprised
that it went in. I knew I had to get a shot off because if you don’t
shoot it, you can’t score.”

“This was a great win for us,” said Hussong who is in her eighth
season at Rider. “We didn’t play our best skill wise but we did give a
great effort. The determination to get the job done was there.”

Rider senior Steph Walker (Lyman, Maine/Massabesic) got Rider (2-2)
on the board just 6:23 into the game, picking up a loose ball in front
of the cage. After the Mountaineers tied the game, Walker scored for
the second time at 19:39 off a Franey assist.

“We’ve been working on being aggressive to get up early,” said
Walker who now has 31 career goals, seventh highest all-time at Rider.
Mebs (junior Caitlin Mebs, Cinnaminson) made a good free hit to setup
the first goal and Michaela made a great pass for the second goal. It
is really important that we experienced a game like today. We now know
that we have it in us to fight back but we also know what we need to do
to keep the lead in the first place.”

Tied at two at the half, the Mountaineers took the lead at the 43
minute mark before Bronc freshman Margaret Ecke (New Egypt, N.J./New
Egypt) scored her first collegiate goal three minutes later.

“We didn’t play our best at the beginning of the game,” said
Franey. “We made some adjustments at halftime and we were determined
to give a better effort in the second half. We didn’t give up and we
were determined to get the win.”

Appalachian State out-shot Rider 19-14, including 6-3 in the
overtime period with senior goalie Jen LoCastro (Cherry Hill,
N.J./Camden Catholic) making 12 saves for the Broncs.

The Broncs have won two straight games.

“We are happy that we won the game,” Hussong added. “It was a good
experience that they were able to overcome some adversity of giving up
the lead twice and kept plugging away to tie it and then win it. Even
if you are not at your best, if you give your best effort, you have a
chance to make good things happen.”

September 04, 2007

by Mark Mueller

Tuesday September 04, 2007, 6:33 PM

Rutgers University, traditionally a fundraising laggard among big
schools across the country, took in a record $103 million in private
donations in the fiscal year that ended in June, university officials
said today.

"From individual donors to corporations, there have been
overwhelming expressions of pride and passion for Rutgers," said Carol
P. Herring, president of the Rutgers University Foundation and a vice
president of development and alumni relations.

July 16, 2007

Of all the
colleges that athletes can attend after graduating from high school,
Rider University is quite the
popular choice for local baseball
players.

Currently, three baseball players represent the area at the Division I institution.

Adam Tussey (top photo)and Mike
DePietropolo (bottom photo)will both be juniors and Jon Leise will be a senior for
the Broncs' baseball team. The three are now good friends, but Leise, a
West Deptford product, and Tussey, a Gloucester grad, were rivals in
high school when their legion teams played against each other.

"I knew we didn't like
(that Brooklawn team)," said Leise.
"But now we're really good friends,
and Mike, too. We hang out a lot we've got that South Jersey
connection."

The three players are
not the only South Jersey natives on the Broncs manager Barry Davis was
the former head coach at Gloucester County
College.

DePietropolo, a Woodstown resident, transferred to Rider after his freshman fall semester at Lynchburg College in Virginia.

"I wanted to be closer
to home," said DePietropolo. "It's
nice being up at Rider, I know a lot
of people there
because I grew up playing (baseball) against them."

What attracted the
athletes to Rider had a lot to do with its location and the appeal of
playing for a Division I school. Rider is located in Lawrenceville,
about 35 miles north of Philadelphia.

"It's just far enough to
be away, but close enough that you can still come home if you need to,"
explained Tussey. "And it's a Div. I school. If you're ready to work,
it's a good program (to be a part of). Rider's a smaller school, but we
play a lot of big schools."

The Broncs compete in
the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Their biggest
rival is
Manhattan College, but they also faced teams like Washington State,
Gonzaga and East Tennessee last season.

The baseball program
isn't the only strong athletic program at Rider, and according to
Leise, athletics rank high at the school.

"Athletics is a main thing at Rider," confirmed Leise. "If you play a sport there, you'll make a ton of friends."

"People will recognize
you," added DePietropolo. "Like I'm Mike on the baseball team. And it's
not just students it's coaches, trainers and teachers who know you by
your name. It's a real homey feel."

After a rebuilding year last season, the Broncs only lost four seniors to graduation.

"We basically have our
whole lineup coming back," said Leise. "We're looking like frontrunners
to win the conference this year."

June 21, 2007

Success in sports can be measured in many ways. Wins and losses, standings,
improvement, and a wide range of various statistics help us. At Rider
University, the successful 2006-2007 academic school year is being measured by
grade point average.

During the spring of 2007, the semester grade point average for all Rider
student-athletes was a best-ever 3.04, compared to the 2.96 grade point average
for Rider’s non-student-athlete population. 55 percent of Rider’s student-athletes received a 3.0 or better grade
point average and 14 of the 20 squads had a team grade point average at 3.00 or
above. “We are extremely proud of the academic performance of our teams,” said
Don Harnum, Rider Director of Athletics. “It is a credit to our coaches for
recruiting quality student-athletes, to the efforts of the students, and a
testament to the dedication of everyone involved in the area of academic support
at Rider.”

Rider’s male athletes compiled their best semester GPA ever last spring with
a 2.91. Not to be out-done, 66 percent
of Rider’s female athletes compiled a 3.0 or better, giving the women a 3.17 GPA
as a group, the second best semester ever at Rider.

The women’s swimming & diving team compiled its best semester grade point
average ever (3.32) after placing second of 10 teams at the Metro Atlantic
Athletic Conference Championships and third of 16 teams at the Eastern College
Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships.

“One of the goals we set each year is to be recognized by the College
Swimming Coaches Association of America for academics,” said Rider head swimming
& diving coach Steve Fletcher, “and our women really responded to that
challenge.” The Rider women earned the highest of the
three levels of the Academic All-America team award presented by the CSCAA.

In all, 87 Rider student-athletes earned MAAC All-Academic Team honors (3.2
or better, no freshmen) for the 2006-07 academic school year. Outside of the MAAC, eleven members of the
field hockey team were named to the 2006 National Field Hockey Coaches
Association Division I National Academic Squad, and as a team the Broncs were
one of 48 teams honored for having a 3.0 or better grade point average. Junior wrestler T. J. Morrison, a three-time
national qualifier, was honored by the National Wrestling Coaches Association
for his high grade point average, as one of 57 wrestlers nationally to be named
to the NWCA All-Academic team.

“We are proud of T.J. for his efforts in the classroom,” said associate head
coach John Hangey. “T.J. is the true definition of a student-athlete and is the
type of young man any team could build a program around. Being named an
Academic All American, T.J. proves that you can be a great student and one of
the best wrestlers in the entire nation at your weight at the same time.”

Rider’s Student Transitional Education Program (STEP) provides individual and
group tutoring, as well as study tables, coordinates progress reports and
monitors the student-athlete’s academic progress, while providing workshops on
such topics as library skills, test taking and note taking. It appears to be
working.

“For both the men and women, there was a dramatic decline in the percentage
of student-athletes with a semester GPA below 2.0,” said Dr. Jonathan Husch,
Rider’s Faculty Athletics Representative. “I believe this is strong evidence to the ongoing efforts of all
Department of Athletics academic support personnel in assisting our academically
at-risk student-athletes. They include (Associate Athletic Director) Greg Busch,
(Academic Support Coordinator) Sonya Hurt, (Director of Rider Learning Center)
Kendall Friedman, the coaches, and the entire staff of the University’s
Education Enhancement Program.”

“Our student-athletes work really
hard on and off the field and it shows,” said Hurt. “The success of our
student-athletes in the classroom speaks volumes about the homework our coaches
do when recruiting the best students for Rider University. I applaud our
student-athletes and coaches for a job well done.”

“This is a story not often heard
about Division I athletics and we should all be extremely proud,” said Husch.
“It is academic results like this that allow us to say with all honesty, ‘We do
Division I right’.”

At Rider, student-athletes are winning on the court, on the field, in the
pool, on the track, and most importantly, in the classroom.

June 11, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE—The Rider University wrestling team announced its 2007-08
schedule, and the first two home dates in November will feature two of the top
three teams in the nation.

Third ranked Missouri comes to Rider’s Alumni Gym on November 9, and second
ranked Iowa State comes to the Broncs’ Zoo November 16. Rider will also host Purdue and Nebraska next
season, while traveling to Lehigh and Maryland.

“This is by far the most challenging schedule in the history of Rider
wrestling,” said Rider head coach Gary Taylor, who’s 330 wins is second most
among active NCAA Division I coaches. “We feel that we have the individuals to
handle this type of competition. It will certainly prepare them to be
All-Americans and possibly win a National Championship.”

Last season Rider took six wrestlers to Nationals and came home with its
12th All-American in the last 27 years. Fie of the six national
qualifiers return for next season, including Don Fisch, who finished his junior
season fifth in the nation.

Rider will once again take part in the Keystone Classic at Penn, the Las
Vegas Open and the prestigious Midlands Championships in Illinois. Other
non-conference dual meets are with Clarion and Rutgers at home, and at
Bloomsburg.

In the Colonial Athletic Association, Rider will host Drexel and compete at
Old Dominion, Boston University and Sacred Heart, and at the CAA Duals, hosted
by George Mason.

June 08, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE--Jazmine Fenlator of Wayne, a recent graduate of Rider
University, was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 2 women's
track & field/cross country teams.

Fenlator, the Metro Atlantic
Athletic Conference nomination for the 2007 NCAA Woman of the Year Award,
and Rider’s representative for the New Jersey AIAW Woman of the Year Award, was
named to the Second Team All-District 2 in the University Division.

Names on the First Team All-District
2 squad will now appear on the CoSIDA Academic All-America ballot.

In the classroom, Fenlator earned a 3.67 grade point average as a Multimedia
Communication major, graduating with honors. On the track she qualified for the
NCAA East Regional in Florida in three different events; the discus, shot put
and hammer.

In eight MAAC track & field championships (four indoor, four outdoor)
Fenlator was selected the Most Outstanding Performer three times, including
twice (indoor and outdoor) this year. She has won 12 MAAC gold medals, four silver medals and three bronze
medals.

During the 2005-06 academic year, Fenlator was selected as one of the top 25
performers in the 25-year history of the MAAC and was named the Rider University
Female Athlete of the Year.

Away from the track Fenlator is very active in community service programs
such as Adopt A Highway, DAARSTOC and the International Order of the Rainbow for
Girls. She has also served as a Student-Athlete Mentor and has been a team
captain for two years, covering four seasons.

June 06, 2007

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA—Rider University
sophomore Desmond Hamilton (Pennsauken) placed 20th in the
preliminaries of the long jump Wednesday evening at the NCAA Division I Outdoor
Track & Field Championships, hosted by Sacramento State. “Everybody back at
Rider should be very proud of how Desmond represented us out here, said Rider
head coach Rob Pasquariello. “He carried himself really well.”

Hamilton, just the second Bronc to ever compete at the NCAA Track & Field
Championship, jumped 7.35 meters or 24’1.5” at the Alex G.
Spanos Sports Complex on the Sacramento State campus Wednesday. “He just
picked a wrong time to not jump his best,” Pasquariello said. “Desmond knows he
belongs out here with the best, it is just a matter of who has a better day,”

The top 12 jumpers advance to the finals Thursday. The
12th place jump on Wednesday was 24’9.75”. “Obviously he didn’t jump
his best but it wasn’t because of nerves or anything,” Pasquariello said. “He
handled everything well. He just didn’t get the jump he needed to get. He didn’t
get the extension that he needed. He didn’t finish the jump, and at this level,
it cost him.”

Hamilton placed fifth in the men’s long jump with a distance of 7.45m
(24’5.5”) at the NCAA Regional Championships, hosted by the University of
Florida May 25 inJames G. Pressly Stadium at Percy Beard Track to
qualify for the NCAA Championships.

“Desmond was comfortable in the surroundings at Nationals,” Pasquariello
said. “We both felt that he belonged here.”

At the ICAAAA Championships May 12, Hamilton won the long jump with what was
then the fourth best jump (25’8.75”) in the nation, and was sixth best heading
into Nationals. The win was only the third all-time for Rider in IC4A
competition and first since 1994.

“To come as far as he has in just one year is amazing,” Pasquariello
said. “He knows he has a lot to learn,
and he’s only 20 years old, so he is going to get stronger, get faster. And he’s
going to get technically better.”

The only other Bronc to ever compete at the NCAA Track & Field
Championships was Jose Lopez in the 400m hurdles in 1994. “Any time we get our
kids to a different level I think it raises the profile of the program and the
University,” Pasquariello said.

June 04, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE—The Rider University men’s basketball team will take on North
Carolina State University Thanksgiving Day in the first round of the 2007 Old
Spice Classic. The game is scheduled to
be played Thursday, November 22, at 2:00 pm and televised live on ESPN2.

“We are very excited about the opportunity to play NC State on national TV,”
said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey. “It will be a great challenge for our
players but I know they are looking forward to it.”

Rider will be one of eight teams competing in the three-game Old Spice
Classic Thanksgiving weekend at the Milk House at Disney’s Wide World of Sports
Complex in Florida. “I know our players, coaches, administration, alumni,
boosters, and fans are extremely excited about the tournament,” said
Dempsey.

ESPN Regional Television, Inc. announced the tournament pairings Monday. In
other first round action, South Carolina plays Penn State at 12 noon, Villanova
plays Central Florida at 7:00 pm and George Mason plays Kansas State at 9:00 pm.
“It also gives us an opportunity to really challenge our basketball team early
in the season against great competition,” Dempsey said. Games Friday begin at
10:30 am and Sunday they run from 11:00 am to 6:30 pm.

“These are terrific fields that reflect the credibility and brand value of
ESPN and Disney’s Wide World of Sports,” Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Commissioner Rich Ensor said. “This is why the Old Spice Classic has gained such
acceptance from the coaches and teams in such a short time.”

“It is a real honor that the people at the MAAC, ESPN and Disney have invited
us to play in such a prestigious tournament,” Dempsey said.

Coverage of Old Spice Classic games will air on ESPN2 and ESPNU. “The ESPN
television exposure will be great for our basketball program and our
university,” Dempsey said.

Rider has never played North Carolina State. Rider upset South Carolina in
1982-83 in the only meeting with the Gamecocks. The Broncs have played Villanova
the last two seasons, and played Penn State in the 1997-98 NIT. Rider is 1-2
against George Mason and played at Central Florida in 1986-87. Rider has never
played Kansas State.

May 31, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE — Sophomore Desmond Hamilton (Pennsauken) has qualified for the
NCAA National Track & Field Championships in the long jump. “In all of the
years that Rider has had track and field, he is only the second person to get to
nationals,” said Rider head coach Rob Pasquariello.

Hamilton placed fifth in the men’s long jump with a distance of 7.45m
(24’5.5”) at the NCAA Regional Championships, hosted by the University of
Florida May 25 inJames G. Pressly Stadium at Percy Beard Track and
qualified for the NCAA Championships.

“The top five automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships,” Pasquariello
said. “Our goal down there was to get to Nationals, and he did that.”

“I wanted to come in first,” said Hamilton, who was the highest seed after a
qualifying mark of 7.83m (25’8.75”) made him the top seed in the Regional. “To
come in fifth and be just the second Rider athlete to qualify for Nationals is
an accomplishment I am very proud of.”

The 2007 NCAA Championships are June 6-9 in Sacramento, California. “I’ve
never been to ‘Cali’, and I am looking forward to it,” Hamilton said.

The only other Bronc to ever compete at the NCAA Track & Field
Championships was Jose Lopez in the 400m hurdles in 1994. “That was my goal, to
qualify for Nationals,” Hamilton said. “By ultimate goal was to place first. Now
that will be my goal at Nationals. To put Rider on the map. If I can finish in
the top 10, I’ll be an All-American. I’m going to try to win it, but top 10
would be good enough. ”

“For a school our size to get somebody in there is pretty exceptional,”
Pasquariello said. “And he has a legitimate chance of becoming an all-American.
Out of over 200 Division I track & field programs to be one of the 24
athletes to make it to the National championships is a pretty big
accomplishment.”

At the ICAAAA Championships May 12, Hamilton won the long jump (25’8.75”) and
placed ninth in the 100m (10.75). The long jump distance ranked Hamilton fourth
in the nation and his win was only the third all-time for Rider in IC4A
competition and first since 1994.

“Desmond continues to prove he is a big meet performer,” said Pasquariello.
“I told him that morning that he could get at least 25 feet and he even exceeded
what I thought he would do. The conditions were right for him to do well and he
has done all of the things that we have asked so that he can succeed. He’s
young and raw and our expectations for him keep going up. He set four ‘PR’s’
while winning the competition and that’s an impressive effort.”

At the 2007 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships Hamilton won the
long jump with a Rider record 7.28m, ran on the winning 4 x 100 relay, placed
second in the 100m (10.55) and placed second n the 200m (21.42). His times in
the 100 and 200 broke the old MAAC Championship records.

As a freshman at the 2006 MAAC Championships, Hamilton won the men’s long
jump (7.02m) despite being sick all day. “We told Desmond maybe he should be
sick more often,” said Pasquariello. “Desmond has unlimited potential, on the
track and in the jumps,” said Pasquariello.

“I had food poisoning or a stomach virus, I’m not sure which, but I was
pretty much out of it the day before,” said Hamilton. “But there was never a
doubt that I would be competing. Winning the long jump was a bit of a surprise
today because I was so sick.”

“As a freshman he came in very confident, all the schools wanted him, and he
has done everything we have asked of him,” Pasquariello said. “With his attitude
and talent he is going to be something special.”

Hamilton was also a standout basketball player at Pennsauken, earning
all-conference honors, but gave up basketball his senior year to concentrate on
his true love, track & field. “I had to concentrate on track & field so
I could get a scholarship,” Hamilton remembers. “There were a few schools
recruiting me, but I really liked it here at Rider. The coaching staff and
members of the team really made me feel comfortable here.”

“Desmond does everything you ask of him, and is willing to do whatever it
takes to improve,” said Pasquariello. “You can’t ask more than that.”

The qualifying rounds at the NCAA Championships are Wednesday evening at 7:00
pm Eastern Time, and the Finals are Thursday at 9:30 pm Eastern Time.

May 24, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE—Just as the 2007 season has come to an end, the Rider
University baseball team has added three more players to its 2008 roster.

Mason Heyne of Shrewsbury, PA, John Ralston of Fairfax, VA and AJ Albee of
Ashley, PA have signed national letters of intent and will further their
education and athletic careers at Rider in September, Rider head coach Barry Davis announced.

Heyne, a 6’2", 210 pound senior shortstop at Susquehannock High School, hit a
school record 12 home runs this spring, batting .444 with 40 runs batted in,
seven doubles and a triple, leading his team to the District Tournament. "Mason
will give us a potential power hitter," said Davis. "He can play both corners
(first and third base) and possibly catch as well."

Ralston, a senior shortstop at Paul VI High School, was an All-State
selection as a junior, batting .375 with just seven errors in 97 chances. This
year Ralson is again a gold glove winner with just two errors in 73 chances.
"John is very solid in the field," Davis said. "He brings a lot of intangibles
to our program."

Albee is a senior at Hanover Area High School, where he is batting .533 this
season with 24 hits. "AJ can play second, short or third as well as all three
outfield positions," Davis said. "He possesses plus speed and a plus arm."

Devlin is a left-handed pitcher at Council Rock North High School, Giordano
is a left-handed pitcher at Massapequa High School, Thomas is a left-handed
pitcher at Fallston High School, Galella was twice an All-Area infielder at G.
A. R High School, Petrillo is an outfielder at Kennedy-Kendrick Catholic High
School and Eppley is a 6’6" right-handed pitcher at Northern York High
School.

Rider won 20 games this season, the 15th consecutive 20-win season and 24th
in the last 25 years for the Broncs.

December 29, 2006

SOUTH BEND -- A phone call placed five years ago this week and subsequent visit to a university worshipped by the young coach and his Irish-Catholic family offered a whirlwind of work worth remembering.

Tommy Dempsey often dreamed of becoming a Division I basketball head coach, and what it might be like to play against Notre Dame. The reality of that ever happening seemed as distant as another dark stretch of highway Dempsey consistently traveled as a junior college coach. Those days, he'd be behind the wheel of a school van after another road game and quick stop for Big Macs and fries.

Today, the 32-year-old native of Scranton, Pa., is the third-youngest Division I head coach. Tonight, Dempsey brings Rider (7-4) into the Joyce Center to face No. 19 Notre Dame (10-1).

"This game has a lot of relevance to me," Dempsey said by phone this week from the Lawrenceville, N.J., campus of a school that educated one Richard "Digger" Phelps. "Things happen so quickly in this business. It's amazing how fast life can change."Dempsey was 24 when he became a head coach at Wyoming (Pa.) Seminary Preparatory School in 1999. In 2000, his passion for the profession led to Keystone (Pa.) Junior College. He took over a program that had finished 11-12 the previous year. The next two seasons, Dempsey directed Keystone to a combined record of 55-8. He was recognized with district and regional Coach of the Year honors in 2001 and 2002.read more

November 06, 2006

Rider University-Freshman lefty Eric Carmichael (West Grove, Pa./Avon Grove) won two games, striking out three Black batters in four innings of work, to lead the Cranberry team to the Championship of the annual Rider University Cranberry and Black World Series.

Carmichael was the winning pitcher in both the first and fifth games of the three-inning, five-game series, allowing no runs or walks.

Senior Jeff Reynolds (Denville, N.J./Parsippany Hills) collected four hits for the Cranberry, including a triple, and knocked in a run. Freshman Clint Lawyer (Mullica Hill, N.J./Clearview) had four hits and two RBI for Cranberry, and junior David Hayes (Sunrise, FL/American Heritage) also collected four hits and an RBI.

For the Black team, freshman shortstop Garrett Rugg (Langhorne, PA/Neshaminy) batted .500 with a pair of RBI and three walks. Freshman Nick Wojnowski (Baldwin, Md./Calvert Hall) hit the only home run of the Series.

The Black team holds a 9-5 advantage in the series history.

The Rider spring season begins February 23-25 with a three-game series at East Tennessee State.

The 2006 Rider University field hockey season came to an end Friday with a loss to host Lock Haven in the semi-final round of the Northeast Conference Championship tournament, held on the Charlotte Smith Field at Hubert Jack Stadium. “We have grown a lot during the course of this season,” said Rider head coach Lori Hussong.“I think the players learned the lessons we wanted them to take with them as they go on in the futureRead more

October 20, 2006

The Rider University women’s soccer game with Iona, scheduled forFriday, October 20, was postponed due to rain, and will now be played onTuesday, October 24, at 3pm.

Rider hosts Fairfield on Sunday at 1pm in a Metro Atlantic AthleticConference game. Even though that is no longer the final home game, thegraduating seniors will still be honored on Sunday in a pre-game ceremony

October 16, 2006

LAWRENCEVILLE—The Broncs played a scoreless tie with Siena Sunday in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game. “We came out and played harder, but once again we got some quality chances and didn’t capitalize,” said Rider head coach Russ Fager.

Rider (3-8-4, 0-3-2 MAAC) out-shot Siena (2-11-2, 1-4-1 NEC) 23-21. The Broncs had seven corners, while Siena had 11. “We had a much better effort all over the field then we have had,” said Fager.

Rider senior goalkeeper Dan Riverso (Williamstown) made five saves. “Dan is still the best conference keeper,” said Fager. “He makes big saves when he has to. He made a big save late in the game and another in overtime. He stays focused no matter what is happening around him, good or bad, and he’s been theleader for us."