Men's College Soccer
Broncs Take on Canisius in MAAC Tournament
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA-The Rider University men's soccer team will take part in the 2011 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship tournament November 3-7.
The 10-team tournament is being held this year at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World Resorts.
"I think we're ready," said first-year head coach Charlie Inverso. "These guys put out a maximum effort every game."
Rider (3-12-2, 2-6-1 MAAC) tied Canisius (4-13-1, 2-6-1 MAAC) for eighth place in the MAAC and the Broncs will take on the Golden Griffins in the opening round of the MAAC Tournament Thursday at 2pm.
"I'm not sure it matters who we play," Inverso said. 'This league is wide open. We're looking forward to the tournament."
On October 23 Rider led Canisius 1-0 with 2:40 left before the Golden Griffins tied the score and then won it in overtime. That game marked the third time this season that the Broncs lost a conference game in the final minutes.
Rider and Canisius have met 16 times with each team winning eight, the last Rider win coming in 2007. That was the same year that Rider last played in the MAAC Tournament, losing to Siena in the first round.
The winner of the Rider-Canisius game will play Friday at 1:45 against the top seed, Fairfield (9-4-1, 8-0-1 MAAC). That quarterfinal game, along with the semifinals and finals, will be broadcast on ESPN3.
Fairfield was another game that the Broncs lost in the closing minutes this season. Rider led Fairfield 2-1 before the Stags tied the score with 56 seconds remaining, and Fairfield won the game in overtime.
Saturday is an off day for the teams to enjoy Disney World. The semifinals are Sunday at 11am and 1:30 pm, with the MAAC Title Game Monday at 12 noon.
This will be Rider's eighth appearance in the MAAC Tournament. Rider won the MAAC Championship Tournament in 1997 and again in 1998, Rider's first two years in the MAAC.
Normally a four-team tournament, the MAAC Championships are a 10-team tournament every four years when it is held in Florida.
ESPN3 is ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, a 24/7 destination that delivers thousands of global sports events annually and accessible online via WatchESPN.com. It is currently available to approximately 70 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers connected to on-campus educational networks and on-base military networks. It is also accessible through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold level members and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app through an affiliated provider.
The talent for the broadcasts of the MAAC Men's Soccer Championship will include Ian Fuller, a former Major League Soccer Player who currently plays and coaches Orlando City of the USL, and ESPN play-by-play announcer Kevin Corke.
Highlights of the games will be available on MAACSports.com. Full-length archived games can be viewed on WatchESPN.com.
-ru-
