NASHUA, N.H. - After shutting out Saint Joseph (Conn.) 3–0 on Saturday night, the Rivier women's soccer team advances to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Semifinal for the second straight season.
The No. 2 Raiders will host No. 3 Lasell at Joanne Merrill Field; kick-off is at 6:00 p.m.
The score remained deadlocked at 0–0 until sophomore Leah Morrier broke through in the 79th minute off an assist from first-year Hayleigh Young. Just three minutes later, junior Cadance Ryan found first-year Bailey Gatchell, who headed home the insurance goal to double the Raiders' lead. Ryan then sealed the win with the third, burying a rebound to put the match out of reach. Senior goalkeeper Bri Nugent logged her fourth clean sheet of the season.
Lasell wrapped up the regular season with a 10-2-1 GNAC record to secure the No. 3 seed. In the quarterfinal round, the Lasers hosted No. 6 Saint Joseph's (Maine) and advanced with a 1–0 win, powered by a lone goal from first-year Ayla Hathaway.
The teams last faced off on Sept. 20 at Taylor Field, where they settled for a 1–1 draw. Rivier's sophomore Drea Dwyer struck just before the half, while Lasell's Hathaway found the late equalizer in the 82nd minute.
Key players for the lasers are Hathaway, who leads the Lasers with 26 points (12 goals, 2 assists), followed by senior Camdyn LaMarre with 19 points, totaling six goals and a team-best seven assists. Between the posts, senior goalkeeper Elizabeth DaSilva owns an .835 save percentage, stopping 86 shots while recording seven shutouts.
The winner of Wednesday's matchup will advance to the GNAC Championship against the winner of No. 1 Emmanuel (Mass.) and No. 4 Regis on Saturday, Nov. 8, with time and location to be announced.
