LAWRENCEVILLE — Momo Diop stood over a free kick 25 yards from goal early in the second half of a MAAC Tournament semifinal game on Thursday night. If you’ve paid attention to the Rider University men’s soccer team this season then you knew what was coming next. Diop curled a free kick around the wall and past an outstretched goalkeeper for what ended up being the game’s lone goal to send the Broncs to a 1-0 victory over Siena and back to the MAAC championship game. “That was a big moment,” Diop said of his 10th goal of the season. “It’s not always easy. Sometimes you got to find a way to score a goal off a free kick or off a penalty kick. It was an important moment to change the game and help the team.” Big players deliver in big moments. “He knows that we need him in big moments and he just continues to shine in the moment, even when this whole scout is about Momo,” coach Chad Duernberger said. “He still finds ways to be successful. He’s a special player and a special kid.” A junior winger from Senegal, Diop had his breakout in last season’s MAAC Tournament. He scored in all three games, including the game winner in the final, to earn MAAC Championship MVP. He’s stepped into the starring role and provided 10 goals and four assists in 19 games. He’s either scored or assists in five of the last six games “We show him a lot of film on just ways that he can be more dangerous, especially when he is the guy in the scout to have a first defender and second defender and even a third player covering,” Duernberger said. “We try to build our shape to give him the best chance to attack, to be on the ball and cause problems.” “It’s all about teamwork,” Diop added. “The boys are playing well. It’s kind of reflects on your personality. You have to try to help the team and score goals.” Rider (14-4-1) takes a nine-match unbeaten streak into Sunday’s league decider against Iona (10-4-3) in New Rochelle. That game, a rematch of last season’s championship thriller won by the Broncs after goalkeeper Adam Salama saved a late penalty, will decide the MAAC’s auto bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Gaels won the regular-season meeting, 1-0, courtesy of a first-half penalty kick. “We know what we are going to find there,” Diop said. “We beat them last year there and we are up for it again (to be) back-to-back champions.” Rider’s 14 victories are tied with Clemson for the most in the country and its six road wins also rank among a five-way tie for the top spot. If you take out the two losses to start the season, the Broncs are 14-2-1 in their last 17 games. But the only route to the NCAA Tournament — Rider and Iona are the only two MAAC sides with a top-100 RPI — is with one more victory. This also marks the Broncs’ 10th trip to the MAAC title game in their 28 years in the league. Their six championships are the second-most in conference history —Loyola of Maryland won 12 before departing for the Patriot League — and a victory would give them five in a 10-year span. “These are the kind of games we want to play,” Diop said. “It’s a tough game, an important moment. You have to show you are up for it.”