Broncs face must-win situations this weekend

By Kristie Kahl

This is it. It’s now or never for the once surging, now struggling, Rider ice hockey team.

The Broncs (12-15-2 overall, 3-9-2 Mid-America Collegiate Hockey Association [MACHA], 10 points) are currently second-to-last in the 10-team MACHA standings with just two games to play. They are one point behind seventh-place Seton Hall and three points behind sixth-place St. Joseph’s, meaning that they need to win out and have both of those teams – and eighth-place Lafayette, which also has 10 points – lose.

The teams that occupy the top six positions by the conclusion of the regular season qualify for the postseason.

The team recognizes that winning two in a row and having all three of those teams lose is far-fetched. But regardless, it remains focused on the task at hand, and to keep playing like they have all season.

“We need to treat this weekend as any other,” said freshman forward Matt Metzger. “If we don’t, we can stress ourselves out too much and make it hard on ourselves to perform on the ice. We all want to make it into the playoffs, but we need to take it one game at a time and play like it’s any other game.”

The fact that Rider is in such a predicament is surprising when it started the season 5-2-1, including convincing wins over MACHA foe Lafayette and in-state rival TCNJ. But the team went into a free fall in mid-November and in spite of playing better since the turn of the calendar year, it still finds itself on the outside looking in.

“I think we underachieved ourselves, and expected to see a few more wins,” said sophomore goalie Bobby Kovarovic. “We lost games that we shouldn’t have, so we’re a little disappointed in our performance.”

The must-win games are this weekend against league rivals William Paterson and Wagner. Neither game looks to be easy. Wagner, which is undefeated and untied in the league (13-0-0), is in first place. William Paterson, which is in fifth place with 19 points, has already secured a playoff berth.

“We have to win both of our games this weekend,” said Kovarovic. “It’s going to be tough because they are two of the best teams in the league, and these games will be our two best games of the year.”

In the past weekend, Rider faced off against Scranton and archrival Lafayette. The team was defeated by the Leopards, 4-3, but came back to overtake Scranton, 8-4.

“It was a little disappointing when we lost to Lafayette because a win against them would have made the playoffs that much more realistic,” said Metzger. “To see us take our bad game against Lafayette and put it behind us like we did [against Scranton] was clutch and we made it count.”

In spite of the grim circumstances, the Broncs remain confident.

“We can’t focus on one part of our game because if we do that, we can run the risk of overlooking something else,” Metzger said. “Play hard, play smart and play physical. Do all the little things right to win the game. As simple as it is, the little things can go a long way.”

“I think teams are going to underestimate us because of our record,” Kovarovic said. “They’re going to think it’s an easy win, but we’re going to come out and surprise them with our performance.”

Against William Paterson tonight, the team will celebrate Senior Night by honoring its lone senior, forward Chris Peer. The team hopes the emotion from that will help inspire it to a startling win over the Pioneers, who had little difficulty with Rider earlier in the season when they won at home, 5-1.

Rider will take on Wagner at home in the Loucks Ice Center the following day at 8:10 p.m.