The Raiders of Rivier College riding high after their victory over intercity rival Daniel Webster Monday night returned to conference play tonight against Boston based Simmons College at Rivier College. It was a game that when you look at the stat sheet, tells one story, but if you saw the game and how it played out, it tells the whole story.  

The Sharks of Simmons College came out at the start of the game, playing a high pressure style similar to what the Raiders do and they did it better. Rivier was quickly on its heels and finding themselves playing in their own 18 yard area in front of their net. However the young Raiders held on and the play of goal keeper Britt Puleo (Hudson NH), making some real nice saves, kept the Sharks at bay. It was an indication of things to come for the senior keeper  from Rivier College. As the 1^st half went on, Simmons College tired and the Raiders were still playing hard and suddenly the flow of the game changed and it was the Raiders who were winning 50/50 balls and taking control of the middle of the field. While it would be Simmons out shooting the Raiders 12 to 3 in the first half, the Raiders were the team going into the half with the momentum.

The second half would pick up like the first half ended , the Raiders pressing forward and winning the middle of the field. Then about 25 minutes into the half, Sabrina Carvalho (Senior, Tyngsboro MA) struck a ball from around the 18 yard line that would hit just under the cross bar and bounce down and out where Freshmen Amy DeSimone (Methuen, MA) was sitting and would try half volley the ball but it went right to the keeper and Simmons survived a scare. It seems that would be the wakeup call the Sharks needed as 2 minutes later, the sharks just missed on a scoring chance of their own and from that point on it would be Simmons College that would carry the play and have chance after chance. It would also be the beginning of the Britt Puleo show as the Rivier Keeper would make save after save. Some point blank shots , others that would see her leap in the air and just get enough on it to deflect over the cross bar. As they say in Hockey, the keeper stood on her head and Puleo was certainly having one of those career games.

The game would go to over time and Simmons would continue to press the Raiders defense and Puleo would continue to come up big. The first ten minutes went by and the second overtime began. The Raiders would have a couple of mild chances but Simmons continued to keep the pressure on. Finally the time would run out and the game would end in a 0-0 tie. Both teams played hard and clean and it would be one of those games that ESPN would label an instant classic. And it would be so because of the performance of the keeper, Britt Puleo who single handed helped Rivier College secure a much needed point in conference play.

Simmons College would see their GNAC record goto 3-1-2 and 5-4-2 overall. They will travel next to Norwich University for a game on October 7^th . The Raiders go to 1-3-1 in conference play and 3-4-1 overall and the will get on the bus for a conference match up with St.Joe's of Maine on October 3^rd at 1pm in Standish Maine.