NASHUA, N.H. - The Rivier women's soccer team earned the No. 2 seed in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament after posting an 11-1-1 conference record. The Raiders will host No. 7 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 4:00 p.m. at Joanne Merrill Field.
Led by third-year head coach Daniel Milton, Rivier secured a postseason berth for the third consecutive season and will host a GNAC Quarterfinal contest for the second year in a row. The Raiders finished second in the conference with 34 points, matching their preseason projection and setting a new program record for conference wins. Their No. 2 seed ties the 1999 squad for the highest tournament placement in program history.
Rivier opened the season 3-3-1, including two GNAC wins, and closed non-conference play with a milestone 7-2 victory over Nichols College, the program's first win over the Bison. The Raiders then went unbeaten over the next three matches, with the lone draw coming against Lasell. Their only conference loss came in a rematch of last year's semifinal against Emmanuel (Mass.). From that point forward, Rivier went undefeated in its final seven contests, recording four shutouts and allowing just three goals during that stretch.
Sophomore Leah Morrier had a breakout season, leading the team with 41 points on 16 goals and nine assists. She set two new single-season program records in both goals and assists. First-year forwards Bailey Gatchell and Bianca Casna made immediate impacts, with Gatchell tallying 20 points with eight goals and four assists and Casna adding 12 points coming by way of six goals. Graduate student Samantha Franks ranked third on the team with a career-high 16 points on five goals and six assists.
In goal, senior Bri Nugent, the reigning GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year, finished third in the conference in goals allowed with 11, posting a .784 save percentage, and earned a record of 7-1-2 mark over 14 games. First-year Olivia Rosario also contributed significantly, finishing with a 4-1 record and a .684 save percentage. The duo combined for four shutouts, all coming in the second half of the season.
The University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) earned the No. 7 seed with a 6-6-1 conference record and 19 points. In their regular-season meeting, Rivier traveled to West Hartford and secured a 2-1 victory. Senior forward Alana Picard ranks fourth in the GNAC with 14 goals, while junior Madison Corcoran serves as the Blue Jays' primary goalkeeper. USJ closed out the regular season with a 5-1 win over Elms on Tuesday.
The winner of Saturday's matchup will advance to the GNAC Semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 5, to face the winner of No. 3 Lasell vs. No. 6 Saint Joseph's (Maine).
