Nine members of the Rider University men’s and women’s soccer teams were named to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Academic team.

The 2007 Rider University soccer season came to an end Wednesday in the first round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship Tournament, held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. “No question this was the worst day of the year,” said Rider head coach Russ Fager. “We could not have picked a worse day to play a bad game.”

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.

Freshman Jim Bradley (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township) scored two goals to lead Rider to a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory over Canisius in the regular season finale.  “At the end of the season you are looking to be going on the up swing,” said Rider head coach Russ Fager, “and I think right now we are on an up swing. Hopefully we can keep going on the up swing.”

Junior Anthony Gilbert (Jamison, Pa./Central Bucks South) set up two Rider goals as the Broncs defeated Niagara in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game Friday. “Gilbert can be a great player,” said Rider head coach Russ Fager. “He has the speed and the technical ability and he’s tough. He understands the game. He’s a ‘for-real’ player.”

The Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game at first-place Loyola Saturday. “In the first half we played strong, but in the second half we gave them too much time and we made some poor decisions that in the end is what hurt us,” said Rider head coach Russ Fager.

The Broncs and Jaspers tied in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game Sunday. It was the second consecutive game that Rider went into overtime. “This was a game we thought we should have won,” said Rider head coach Russ Fager. “The guys fought hard. I thought we played relatively well. Good enough to win the game.”

Despite building leads of 1-0 and 3-2 the Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game in overtime at Saint Peter’s Friday. “Saint Peter’s is very technical, very skillful with the ball,” Fager said. “They are very good. It was an interesting game. We played on a very sloppy field with the first half rain.”

The Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game to Fairfield Sunday.  It marked the third straight game that Rider (5-7-1, 0-3-1 MAAC) lost 1-0, and the second straight game that the Broncs out-shot their opponent. “In our four conference games it has been 1-1, 0-1, 0-1, 0-1, so it can’t get much closer for us,” said Rider head coach Russ Fager.

Despite out-shooting the Gales 14-5, the Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game to Iona Friday. “We have to find a way to translate our good defense into scoring chances,” said Rider head coach Russ Fager. “We controlled the majority of the game.”

The Broncs kept Siena off of the board for 85 minutes but it wasn’t enough as Rider lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to the Saints Sunday afternoon. “We didn’t play up to our potential today,” said Rider head coach Russ Fager. “This was not the outcome we were after, that’s for sure.”

Rider sophomore Nico Tramontana (Vineland, N.J./Sacred Heart) from the men’s soccer team was awarded ‘Athlete of the Day’ honors for October 6, 2007, by thedailyjournal.com.

The Broncs began the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference portion of their schedule with a tie at Marist Friday night. “We are extremely happy to come into Marist and come away with a tie,” said Rider head coach Russ Fager. “They have a brand new multi-million dollar facility and had a big crowd here tonight.”

Nico Tramontana, a sophomore on the Rider University soccer team, was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Week for all games played the last week of September with freshman Andrew Cotes receiving MAAC Rookie of the Week honors.  “We are ecstatic that we are getting guys recognized on the conference level,” said head coach Russ Fager.  “It’s a tribute to their work ethic on the field and a tribute to their teammates working hard as well.”

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. “Yeah, I think we’re ready for MAAC play,” said Rider head coach Russ Fager after the Broncs defeated La Salle Saturday afternoon.

The Broncs won for the fourth time in the last five games, defeating the New Jersey Institute of Technology Tuesday evening. “I’m very excited,” said Rider head coach Russ Fager. “The guys have played very well. Even though we lost four, three of the four games we were in. Lately the breaks have begun going our way.”

Tom Antonucci, a freshman on the Rider University soccer team, was named the co-winner of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week award for all games played September 17-23.

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.”

The Broncs lost to Bucknell Tuesday afternoon. “I thought we had some quality chances in the second half,” said Rider head coach Russ Fager.  The loss ended Rider’s two-game winning streak.

The Broncs won their second consecutive game, defeating Saint Joseph’s Saturday night.  “We did what we needed to do to win,” said Rider head coach Russ Fager. “We just defended well. Saint Joe’s didn’t get any quality shots. We did a very good job defending.”

Freshman Jim Bradley (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township) took a crossing pass from junior Anthony Gilbert (Jamison, Pa./Central Bucks South) and scored with just over one minute left in the second half to give Rider a victory at Philadelphia U. Wednesday. It was the first victory of the season for the Broncs. “Absolutely awesome,” said Rider head coach Russ Fager. “With a young team like this, any win is a good win right now.”

The Broncs lost to host Drexel Sunday in the second round of the Drexel Invitational Soccer Tournament.  “The guys played much better than we have been,” said Rider head coach Russ Fager.  “Much, much better. By far the best we’ve played this year. It was a good game.”

If college soccer played 40 minutes halves, Rider would have won 1-0 Friday. But two Temple goals, scored in the final minutes of each half, gave the Owls a victory over the Broncs in the first round of the Drexel Invitational Soccer Tournament Friday.

Playing without three starters who were serving a suspension from last year, the short-handed Broncs lost the 2007 season opener at Longwood Sunday. “We had four players suspended at the end of last season that carried over until this game,” said Rider head coach Russ Fager. “Three of those players would have started today and I expect them to start Friday.”

Bobby Smith, an All-American soccer player at Rider in 1972 and a 1997 inductee into the Rider Athletics Hall of Fame, has been elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame as a Veteran Player. He will be inducted 12 noon Sunday, August 26, 2007. “Obviously we are extremely proud anytime one of our own achieves such a high national honor,” said Rider Director of Athletics Don Harnum.

11 Rider University student-athletes were honored Friday as part of the 20^th annual National Student-Athlete Day.

The Hall of Fame announced today that Bobby Smith, U.S. National Team defender, three-time NASL all-star, and three-time NASL Champion, has been elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame as a Veteran Player. He will be honored at Induction 2007, presented by The Century Council’s Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of Underage Drinking, on Sunday, August 26 at noon.