April 23, 2006 - Rider Signs Five Recruits

April 23, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

College Field Hockey
Rider Signs Five Recruits

LAWRENCEVILLE—The Rider University field hockey team has signed five players for the 2006 season, Rider head coach Lori Hussong announced.

Heather Connelly and Erin McGinnis of Newton, Brittany Kennedy of New Egypt, Brittany Baxter of Stroudsburg, PA, and Lyndsie Johnson of Gibbsboro, have signed national letters of intent to further their education and athletic careers at Rider.

“These five excellent recruits were chosen because they fit the ‘Rider Mold’ that we have established,” said Hussong.  “They’ll join a program that has won six championships in six seasons.”  Rider has won three Northeast Conference regular season titles and three NEC tournament Championships, advancing to three NCAA Tournament Play-In games under Hussong.

Connelly is a senior at Newton High School, where she twice earned First Team All-State honors, leading the entire state of New Jersey with 56 goals in 2005 and 49 goals in 2004.

McGinnis is a senior at Kittatinny Regional High School, where she earned First Team All-State Group II honors, leading her team to a 19-2 record.

Kennedy, a senior at New Egypt High, the Group I State Champions, earned First Team All-state honors, scoring 27 goals from her midfield position.

Baxter is a senior at Stroudsburg High School, where she earned First Team All-Conference and First Team All-Area honors.

Johnson, a senior at Eastern High School, was a First Team All-South Jersey Group IV goalkeeper, compiling a school record 19 shutouts as a senior after 13 shutouts as a junior, starting on the nationally ranked Group IV State Champions.

Last season Rider finished 14-6 overall and was fifth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 1.14 points per game. The field hockey team also had the highest team grade point average at Rider with a 3.21.

Rider has produced the NEC Rookie of the Year three times in the last four years, and “this could be our strongest recruiting class yet,” said Hussong.

-RU-