A mere six minutes into the game, the Riders got on the board when Jess Van Alstyne centered a ball that freshman Alex Armstrong got a foot onto and put into the back of the net. The Riders gave Mohonasen no time to recover, scoring again just a minute later. Morgan Van Alstyne threw the ball to Elena Ooms who chipped over the defense to Kylie Watt. Watt calmly tapped the ball past a charging Michelle Baldwin, Mohon’s goalie, then raced past her to finish it for a 2-0 lead. Armstrong continued to put good pressure up front and make the most of her start. In the 33rd minute, Olivia Armstrong crossed the ball to her sister who fed it to Ooms. Ooms put the ball off the post for a near goal. Three minutes later, the Riders got a third goal when Morgan Van Alstyne raced in and finished at the near post past Baldwin. With less than a minute left in the first half, the Riders added their fourth, after Watt was fouled just outside the box. Shana Barry came up from her defensive position to take the free kick and lofted it up and over the goalie.
Much of the second half played out like the first, with the Riders dominating possession and chances. Two minutes into the half, Olivia Armstrong sent a corner into the box, where Watt got a head to it. The ball was headed for the back of the net before a defender cleared it off the line. Mohonasen was able to put together their two only true chances as the half progressed. First a rip went off the cross bar; then in the 69th minute, Amber McCarty finished a corner kick to get her team on the board. As the half continued, the Riders would add one more goal to ice the game. In the 77th minute, Alex Armstrong sent a good ball to Elena Ooms, who fired a shot off the keeper. With the ball loose, Morgan Van Alstyne came in to add her second goal of the game.
In goal, Courtney Barry made seven stops for the Riders, while Baldwin stopped nineteen for Mohonasen. The Riders also collected a huge total of ten corner kicks in the game.
With the victory, the Riders will now face fourth-seeded Schalmont in the second round of Class A. Schalmont finished atop the always-competitive Colonial Council and have a well-balanced team. For the Riders to continue their quest for a Sectional title, they must spread the wealth to their multitude of offensive options up front, with senior leaders like Watt, Jess Van Alstyne, and Olivia Armstrong taking charge. The Riders are young in the back, but if senior Courtney Barry takes command, the Riders have a good shot to move on.
