THE BASICS 

Score:             
Rivier University, 16; Emmanuel College, 10
Records:         
Emmanuel College Saints (3-6, 3-5 GNAC)
Rivier University Raiders (3-5, 3-5 GNAC)
Location:         
Boston, Mass. – Roberto Clemente Field
Date:               
Wednesday, April 28, 2021

THE LEAD:  Rivier University scored four straight goals to open play and never looked back en route to a 16-10 victory over host Emmanuel College on Wednesday evening in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's lacrosse action at Roberto Clemente Field.

HOW IT HAPPENED  

• The Raiders got a pair of first quarter goals from first year Connor Eck (Franklin, Mass.) to take a 3-0 lead into the second quarter, holding the Saints scoreless until sophomore Ryan Castle (Boxford, Mass.) got the hosts on the board to make it 4-1 with 14:09 to play in the half.
• Castle and junior Colin Dickinson (Barre, Vt.) scored back-to-back goals to pull EC to within a 5-3 score with 11:18 on the clock but Emmanuel would never get any closer throughout the action as Rivier controlled the tempo throughout the remainder of play.
• Over the final 10 minutes of the second quarter, the Raiders outscored Emmanuel with a 3-2 flurry to close out the stanza powered by two goals from first year Michael Ference (Salem, N.H.) to five RIV the 8-5 halftime lead.
• After trading goals to open the third to make it 9-6, Rivier scored six consecutive goals to put the game out of reach at 16-6 with Ference and first year Coby Mercier (Boscawen, N.H.) each finding the net twice in the flurry.
• Castle netted the final four goals of the night to account for the 16-10 final.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• First year Sawyer Gagnon (Gorham, Maine) made 13 saves to earn the win and move to 2-2 on the year for Rivier while EC goalie Eric Anderson (Sparta, N.J.) also made 13 saves in defeat to fall to 1-3 in net.
• Castle and Ference each finished the night with a game-high six goals.
• Emmanuel moves to 6-4 against the Raiders but has now dropped four straight to their New Hampshire neighbors.

OF NOTE

• Prior to the start of the game, the Saints honored its seven seniors in a brief senior day ceremony. Congratulations to Nicholas Bontempo, Alex Flanagan, Brian Donahue, Connor Dooley, Graham Roche, Joe Cuticelli and Morgan Mercier on their careers with the Saints.

UP NEXT

• The squads will square off again for the third time this season on Saturday, May 1 in the GNAC Quarterfinals. Rivier earns the No. 3 seed and will host the No. 6 Saints in Nashua, N.H. with the game time to be determined.