Britt Eckett and Amanda Centeno have signed national letters of intent to further their education and athletic careers at Rider University, Rider softball coach Tricia Carroll announced.

As part of the MAAC Gives Back and The Rider Athletics Partners in a Caring Community Program, Rider Athletics and eight of the varsity teams assisted the Rider University's Center for Multicultural Affairs and Community Service by donating food during the 2006 annual drive.

A race with no clock yet time is against you.  A race where the rules change all the time.  And fairness?  There is nothing fair about having to run the race at all.  On Sunday, October 29, the Rider women’s basketball and softball teams, as part of the MAAC Gives Back and the Rider Athletics Partners in a Caring Community program participated in the Susan G. Komen New Jersey Race for the Cure, held at Bristol-Myers Squibb on Route 206 South in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

What makes a good leader?  The Rider University Department of Athletics, in conjunction with Rider’s Center for the Development of Leadership Skills, is taking serious measures to find the answers to that question.

Jen Cullen of the softball team, and Jamie Hayes of the baseball team, were named the Rider University Athletes of the Month for the month of May.

The Rider softball season came to an end with a loss to host Fairfield in the consolation round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship tournament. “The kids played very well,” said Rider head coach Tricia Carroll.  “They showed guts, heart and determination.”

Ten members of the Rider softball team were named to the 2006 MAAC All-Academic team.

At the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference softball tournament awards banquet Thursday evening Rider University senior Jen Cullen was named First Team All-MAAC, while senior Heather Beintema and junior Nichole Mears were named Second Team All-MAAC.

The Rider University softball team is the third seed in the four-team Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship Tournament, the MAAC announced today.

No ‘O’ and no ‘D’ equaled two ‘L’s for Rider on Saturday.  Playing the final home games of the 2006 season, the Broncs were shutout twice by the Tigers of Princeton, losing 3-0 and 6-0, making eight errors on the day.

The Broncs lost a non-conference doubleheader at Towson Wednesday.  “With all of the pressure of the conference run, you could almost see a game like the first game coming,” said head coach Tricia Carroll.

Senior Jen Cullen of the Rider University softball team was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference Player of the Week for all games played the last week of April.

Never a doubt. The Rider softball team began the season 1-5 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and when the team was 2-6, was pretty much given up for dead. Then the Broncs proceeded to win eight consecutive conference games, capped by a sweep at Fairfield Tuesday to finish 10-6 in the league and qualify for the MAAC playoffs for the third time in the last four years. “There was never a doubt that we were capable of doing this,” said Rider head coach Tricia Carroll, “but being capable of doing something and actually doing it are two different things. The last eight games we were on a mission. This has to be the greatest eight-game winning streak in the history of Rider softball.”

Senior Jen Cullen of the Rider University softball team was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Week for all games played the last week of April.

The last two won’t matter without the first six.  Now they matter.  Facing must win situations in every league game since April 10th, the Broncs have responded winning six straight to improve to 8-6 in the MAAC with a doubleheader win over Sinea on Sunday.

The eight step program.  After a doubleheader split with Marist on April 10th left the Broncs at 2-6 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic conference, eight games remained on the conference schedule.  A quick look into the historical records of the league strongly suggested that 10 wins would be necessary to have a chance at the playoffs.  Eight wins in eight remaining league games.  Eight small steps.  Rider continued the mission on Saturday, winning its third and fourth league games in a row, sweeping Saint Peter’s in a MAAC doubleheader.

The third time is the charm.  After attempting to play Iona in a Metro Atlantic Atletic Conference doubleheader twice in the past five days, the Broncs finally got some cooperation from mother nature and defeated the Gaels twice to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The conference handbook may say the playoffs start on May 12th but for the Rider Bronc softball team, the playoffs begin on Thursday.  Rider tuned up for the playoff run by taking on the Owls of Temple in a single game Tuesday.

The Broncs lost a non-conference doubleheader at La Salle on Tuesday.

The Broncs lost in the 10th inning on an unearned run at Rutgers Thursday. The winning run was scored on two hits, a sacrifice bunt and a Rider error. The second game was called due to rain. “It was a great game,” said Rider head coach Tricia Carroll. “It was just one of those games where you are unfortunate to be on the losing end of it.”

On a day when nine home runs were hit and 29 runs were scored, it took a petite freshman pitcher changing speeds to knock off the powerful Fightin’ Blue Hens from the University of Delaware Wednesday. “Our offense showed up today, and Lo was very effective with her change-up today,” said Rider head coach Tricia Carroll.

“You rocket-fire 28!”  Attend any Rider’s women’s softball contest and chances are great that you will hear these words repeated many times during the course of the game.

The Broncs split a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader with Marist Monday, ending the Red Foxes’ 15-game winning streak . “All day the intensity and the energy level was much better, where it needs to be,” said Rider head coach Tricia Carroll.

The Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader to Manhattan Sunday, losing both games in the final inning. “With 21 runners left on base in two games, we have to do a better job getting the runners in,” said Rider head coach Tricia Carroll.

The Broncs split a doubleheader with Saint Joseph’s Tuesday. “In the first game we weren’t hitting the ball, so it was nice to come up with the big hits at the end when we needed them,” said Rider head coach Tricia Carroll.

The Broncs split a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader at Canisius Sunday. Canisius is the defending MAAC Champion. “It was a beautiful day in Buffalo, as far as the weather goes,” said Rider head coach Tricia Carroll. “As far as softball goes, we had every opportunity to sweep a good team and we didn’t take advantage of it.”

The Broncs were swept by Niagara in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday. “Niagara is a good team, and I don’t want to take anything away from them, but we didn’t compete with them today,” said Rider head coach Tricia Carroll.

The Broncs split a doubleheader at Columbia Thursday. “This was a good challenge for us going into conference play this weekend,” said Rider head coach Tricia Carroll. “Columbia is always a good team.”

The Broncs swept Lafayette Tuesday behind solid pitching and the hitting of junior Desiree Harbaugh (Frederick, Md./Gov. Thomas Johnson). “We hit the ball well today, especially Des,” said Rider head coach Tricia Carroll. “It was nice to put together good offense and good defense in the same game.”

In games that were as ugly as the weather, the Broncs split a non-conference doubleheader with Penn on Saturday.

The Broncs ended their week at the Spring Rebel Games with a sweep of Butler and Binghamton Friday. “I was glad to end the trip on a pair of games like today,” said Rider head coach Tricia Carroll.  “We played well today.”

The Broncs split a pair of games at the Spring Rebel Games Wednesday. “I had a little chat with our pitchers and we had two good games today,” said head coach Tricia Carroll.

The Broncs dropped a pair on Tuesday at the Spring Rebel Games, despite six hits by senior Jen Cullen (Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Immaculata). "Jen did a good job today, coming up with some nice hits," said Rider head coach Tricia Carroll.

The Broncs split two at the Spring Rebel Games Sunday.

The Broncs split their first two games at the Spring Rebel Games, defeating St. Joe’s before losing to Missouri-Kansas City. “It was great to win the first game of the trip,” said head coach Tricia Carroll. “It felt good.”

The Broncs won the 2006 home opener Wednesday, defeating Drexel in a come-from-behind victory in the bottom of the last inning.  The second game of the doubleheader was called in the third inning for darkness.

The Broncs lost to the host Gauchos in the second round of the rain-shortened Softball By The Beach Tournament, hosted by UCSB. “We gave a much better effort today,” said Rider head coach Tricia Carroll. “I’m happy with the effort. We had our chances, and the game could have gone either way.”

The Broncs began the 2006 season losing to San Diego State in the Softball By The Beach Invitational, hosted by the University of California Santa Barbara. The game against the host UCSB Gauchos was canceled due to rain. “We want to play the toughest competition we can, and we are,” said Rider head coach Tricia Carroll.  “This experience will help us when we get back home and start conference games.”

Rider outfielder Jen Cullen (Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Immaculata) was selected to the Preseason All-MAAC team, it was announced on Monday.