Patience Pays Off After Rider's First NCAA Win

Rider coach Evan Mager had his eye on the date of the Broncs’ inaugural matchup — Saturday, Feb. 10, against Fairleigh Dickinson — for a long time.

Closing out the program’s first-ever game with a win was relieving. But there were other smaller milestones that Mager also found comforting, like the team’s first bus ride to a game and the loudness of the locker room.

“Being a coach, a former player specifically, that routine is something I’m really used to,” Mager said. “It all became real once we got on the bus — the focus that was there, music playing.”

More than a year of preparation culminated in a 19-7 victory for Mager and his Broncs, highlighted by seven different scorers — including five goals and two assists from Katie Walsh.

The victory came after plenty of expectations and anxiety about finally competing. Many players redshirted a year, and Mager, hired from FDU-Florham, went more than a year without coaching as he readied the team for Division I play.

Mager said, as a coach, he’s used to “game in, game out” situations. After joining Rider in October 2022, he had to come to terms with not coaching for a season. It was difficult for players who redshirted as well, as they watched other people play from afar.

But these preseason worries appeared to ease as Rider took the field. The Broncs were in control from the start, tallying the first two goals just seconds apart less than five minutes into the contest.

Mager said he isn’t a nervous person and didn’t want to bring that emotion to his team. It also helped that many Rider players are transfers with collegiate experience elsewhere who knew what to expect and how to get ready for a game.

The nerves may have been low, but excitement was high among the Broncs.

“We spent so long prepping and scrimmaging each other, fall ball, different experiences,” Mager said. “But there’s nothing like the night before, getting on a bus, traveling together, the locker room.”

Several seasoned players led the charge for Rider. Walsh, a transfer from FDU-Florham, led the team in goals and points. Anna Devlin, a former star at Division III TCNJ, scored four times, and Rutgers transfer Selena Carrington notched a hat trick. FDU-Florham transfer goalie Jamie Kubach made seven saves and allowed six goals.

Mager said he wanted varying experience levels when building the roster. The team only features two true freshmen; the rest redshirted or transferred in.

This strategy was part of building as “normal of an atmosphere as possible,” Mager said. This approach extended to gameday, too, as he avoided arriving at the stadium or starting warmups too early.

“Sometimes that first game can be awkward and interesting because there’s a lot of unknowns,” Mager said. “But I felt like we handled the preparation well enough to keep it as normal as possible.”

Rider remained in control throughout, posting a 13-4 lead at halftime en route to a 19-7 victory. Nine players came off the bench — among them Carrington, one of the game’s leading scorers. Mager said he was impressed by the many players who chipped in on offense, as well as the defense’s success with a new style of play.

As the clock wound down, the Broncs grew more excited — heightened by a crowd of parents and supporters waiting in the stands. Players swarmed the goalkeeper after the buzzer sounded, basking in their first victory.

“It was like that sigh [of relief], like, ‘We did it,’” Mager said. “We’re here. We know we can compete.”

Rider has the week off and will return against Saint Francis on Thursday, Feb. 22. For now, they’re soaking up the moment while also looking forward to all that’s ahead.

“If this is our starting point, the sky’s the limit for what our ability may be,” Mager said.