CHICOPEE, Mass. – Elms College sophomore goalkeeper Alexandra Bonavita (Agawam, Mass.) collected 17 saves, but a pair of first half goals by Rivier College paced the Raiders to a hard-fought 2-0 victory over the Blazers in Saturday afternoon's non-conference field hockey contest at Leary Field. With the loss, Elms moves to 0-5 overall, while Rivier improves to 1-2 with its first win of the season.

Rivier scored its first goal six minutes into the contest when Ashley Ruocco (East Kingston, N.H.) delivered a pass into the middle of the circle that Kayla O'Reilly (Marshfield, Mass.) drilled into the back of the net, giving the Raiders their first score of the 2010 season and a 1-0 lead.

The play continued back and forth until the 21:56 mark when Rivier's Erin Gatsas* (Manchester, N.H.) controlled the ball off a deflection and sent it into the cage, upping the Raiders' lead to 2-0.

Rivier continued to pressure Elms in the second half, but a stellar effort from the Blazers' defensive unit and 11 saves from Bonavita, shut out Rivier for the rest of the game.

Gatsas placed six shots on goal for the Raiders, while O'Reilly and Ruocco fired four shots on target each in the winning effort. Goalkeeper Nicole Hauswirth (Cranston, R.I.) notched a pair of saves to help preserve the win.

The Raiders will travel to Fitchburg State in Fitchburg, MA for a 4:00 pm game on Wednesday, Septemebr 22nd.