Celebrations were short-lived for the Raiders as they fell Saturday 7-6 to Lasell. (Photo courtesy of Rivier University)

NASHUA — It was a tough Saturday all around for Rivier University sports teams, and the toughest loss of all was suffered by the Raider men’s lacrosse squad as Lasell’s Jordan Hines scored the game winner with 3:05 left in the fourth quarter for a 7-6 win at Joanne Merrill Field.

The Raiders (5-2, 1-1 GNAC) got the scoring started on a Jeffery Potter goal. Lasell (5-5, 4-0 GNAC) followed Potter with two goals of their own from David Burke and James Anderson. Michael Ference would close out the quarter with the game tying score to make it 2-2. He finished the day with a hat trick.

The Lasers would take the advantage going into the break at 4-3 after the second quarter. Lasell netted two more, with both coming from Landon Reyes on man down situations. Coby Mercier of Boscawen would end the half for the Raiders with his first goal of the contest.

The third quarter matched the first, with both teams scoring two goals each. Potter again struck first for Riv. Reyes would score his third goal to put the Lasers back up by one 5-4. Ference would also net his second goal at the 3:34 mark to tie the game back up at 5-5. However, Burke would come in to score the go ahead goal again for Lasell with just two seconds remaining in the quarter.

Ference would complete the hat trick to start the fourth, tying the game back up at 6-6. The game would remain tied for 10 minutes until Hines’ goal.

Raider goalie Sawyer Gagnon, despite the loss, had a solid night in net, saving 16 shots on goal. Rivier hosts Regis on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

JOHNSON & WALES 22, RIVIER 4

After a tied first quarter at 3-3, JWU would turn it on in the second quarter and the remainder of the game at Merrill Field.

The Raiders (2-5, 1-4 GNAC) would put up all four of their goals in the first half. Three came in the first quarter, with two coming from Sarah LaChance and the other from Nashua’s Tara Saliany and their lone goal in the second quarter was by Litchfield’s Caitlin Newell.

Tianna Gamory led J&W (5-3, 4-0 GNAC) with eight goals and three assists for 11 points. Riv is at Simmons on Tuesday.

BASEBALL

NORWICH SWEEPS RAIDERS

Rivier baseball fell in both conference-opening games to Norwich University, 5-1 and 11-2, at Nashua’s Harvey Woods Field, as the Raiders offense struggled.

In the opener, Matt Ingraffia pitched a two-hit complete game for the Cadets, striking out 10 Raiders and only walking one.

Rivier (1-10, 0-2 GNAC) plated its only run in the bottom of the fourth when it picked up their only two hits. Jacob Boudreau of Auburn started the inning off with a double down the left field line. Derry’s Frank Gulezian drove him in on the next pitch with a single down the right field line.

In the nightcap, the Cadets would go up 2-0 in the top of the first before the Raiders would get one back. Connor Dines would trade places with Gulezian after back-to-back doubles to put the score at 2-1.

But Norwich would add three more runs between the second and third innings to go up 5-1. Gulezian scored the final run of the day for Riv on a steal of home during a rundown.

Gulezian would top the Raiders offense going 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored.

Rivier baseball is back in action today against Mass Maritime. Game times are set at 1 and 3:30 p.m.

SOFTBALL

GORDON SWEEPS RAIDERS

Riviver fell to 1-9 after 13-2, 9-0 defeats in Wenham. Riv’s lone runs came on a Micayla Bourski RBI single in the second and a throwing error off a Nicole Capra single. Amanda Atkinson had two hits for Riv.

Gordon’s Sierra Ricci only allowed three hits — two by Atkinson — with five strikeouts in a shutout effort in the nightcap.

Rivier is right back at it today against Northern Vermont Lyndon at home on Raider Diamond for a twinbill beginning at 1 p.m.