PAXTON, Mass. – Behind a five-goal flurry from sophomore Sofia Cebrero and two additional hat tricks from first-year Ashlynn Ledoux and senior Sarah Lachance, the Rivier women's lacrosse team defeated Anna Maria, 16-6, in its Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opener on Saturday afternoon at Caparso Field.
Lachance broke her second program record in two games, by securing three draw controls to become Rivier's all-time leader in the statistical category.
With the win the Raiders improved to 2-1 (1-0 GNAC) while the AMCATS dropped to 0-3 (0-1 GNAC).
Cabrero opened the contest with an early goal, taking a pass from Lachance and finishing past the Anna Maria goalkeeper. Lachance then extended the lead, scoring two unassisted goals in a span of 80 seconds to put Rivier up 3-0 by the end of the first quarter.
The AMCATS responded quickly in the second quarter, scoring two goals in just 16 seconds to narrow the Raider lead to 3-2 with 12:09 remaining in the half. Rivier struck back with two goals in three seconds from Ledoux and Cabrero. The Raiders kept the momentum going as first-year Brooke Carter found the back of the net, and Cabrero completed her hat trick just 17 seconds later, giving Rivier a 7-2 lead midway through the frame. Anna Maria briefly halted the run with a goal, but the Raiders added two late scores from Ledoux and Lachance, who also completed her first-half hat trick as Rivier headed into the halftime break with a 9-3 lead.
Rivier's offense kept firing, scoring three consecutive goals from three different Raiders to open the second half. The AMCATS answered with a man-up goal, but senior Cassie Hemmerdinger responded, scoring her first goal of the season at the 3:42 mark. Ledoux then completed her hat trick late in the period, giving the Raiders a ten-point cushion heading into the final frame.
Junior Bailey Carroll and Cebrero added late tallies as the Raiders closed out the game with a 16-6 win.
Lachance led the team with seven points, including three goals and four assists, along with four ground balls and three draw controls. Cabrero and Ledoux each contributed five points. Hemmerdinger added three points and a game-high eight ground balls, while Carter chipped in with three points and three ground balls.
Senior goaltender Kylie Coupal recorded seven saves in the contest and improved her record to 2-1 on the season.
The Raiders return to action in a GNAC road matchup on Saturday, March 15 against Emmanuel (Mass.). The opening draw at Roberto Clemente Field is scheduled for noon.
