NASHUA, N.H. - The Rivier women's lacrosse team secured the No. 8 seed in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) postseason, marking their first tournament appearance since 2018
Under the guidance of sixth-year head coach Maura Murphy, the raiders posted an 8-9 overall record and 6-7 in conference and will travel to No. 1 Saint Joseph's (Maine) for a quarterfinal matchup on Saturday, April 25. The first draw is set for 11:30 a.m.
Rivier picked up its first win of the season on March 7 against GNAC foe Dean, then battled through three tight conference losses before catching fire with a three-game win streak. Two of those victories came in GNAC action over Mitchell and Elms. The Raiders sealed their postseason berth by defeating Simmons.
Rivier's offensive production has been anchored by junior Sofia Cebrero, who leads the team with 45 points (29 goals, 16 assists) and recently surpassed 100 career goals in the Raiders' 18-0 victory over Albertus Magnus. First-year Olivia Wheeler ranks second on the roster with 42 points, totaling 32 goals and 10 assists, while sophomore Ashlynn Ledoux has contributed 34 points on 26 goals and 8 assists, and classmate Brooke Carter recorded 24 points on 20 goals, and four assists.
First-year Hayleigh Young has been a key presence in the draw, recording a team-best 77 draw controls this season.
In goal, first-year Arrianna Imbriano has made an immediate impact, making the start every game while recording 101 saves and posting a .453 save percentage and earning one GNAC of the week honor. Junior Madelyn Poulton and Young lead the team with 31 turnovers.
The Monks claimed the top seed after finishing the regular season 14–3 overall and a perfect 13–0 in GNAC play. Back on April 8 when these two squads met in the regualr season,the Monks came out on top 15-7.
Key players to watch out for SJC, senior Celia Melanson has been the catalyst, leading NCAA Division III in assists per game (4.24) and pacing SJC with 88 points (16 goals, 72 assists). Sophomore Ella Highbarger and junior Taylor Dumond have powered the scoring attack, combining for 108 goals. In goal, junior Julia Price and senior Alexis Eldridge have shared duties, posting a combined .463 save percentage
The winner of this quarter-final contest will face the winner of No. 4 Lasell and No.5 Colby-Sawyer on Tuesday, April 28, time and place to be determined.
