Rivier's Robert DelPrete (88) leads the celebration after Rivier beat Emmanual 10-9 in double OT in the GNAC men's lacrosse quarterfinals Saturday at Joanne Merrill Field. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Rivier University’s Michael Ference was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference’s Player of the Week recently.

Saturday afternoon, in the GNAC quarterfinals, we all found out why.

Ference, left open on the right side, converted a beautiful pass from Nashua’s Chris Heitmiller and fired a blistering shot past Emmanuel College goalie Randy Castle with 3:01 left in double overtime to give the Raiders a dramatic 10-9 win over the Saints before a packed Joanne Merrill Field.

“He’s a very good lacrosse player, he’s gifted physically,” Rivier coach Jay Delanoy said. “Every day he plays he gets smarter and better at the game. He’s the fastest player in 100 points in my 11 years here. He got there in 20 games.”

The Raiders were the tourney’s third seed, but the 6-10 Saints were giving them all kinds of trouble, tying the game with six seconds left in regulation on Robert Favuzza’s third goal of the game, 9-9. Riv had scored three straight in the period for a 9-7 lead.

“It’s very scary,” Ference, the sophomore from Salem, said. “It’s back and forth, back and forth, but at the end of the day, there’s only one victor.”

And it was the Raiders, who at 14-3 overall are now headed to Newton, Mass. on Wednesday at 6 p.m. to face No. 2 Lasell in the GNAC semis. Riv lost to Lasell here 7-6 back on March 26, so it’s anyone’s game.

This was the Raiders seventh one goal game and fourth overtime game of the season, but a team with zero seniors certainly grew up for certain on Saturday.

“The maturity process,” Delanoy said, “has accelerated.”

It helps with good players, and Ference and Bishop Guertin alum Heitmiller had the right chemistry at the right time.

“I saw Heitmiller make a great play,” Ference said. “He drew my defender, he gave me the dish and I saw a wide open net so I took my shot.”

Much to the chagrin of the Saints, who after falling behind 4-1 after one quarter tied it 4-4 by halftime and led 7-6 going into the final quarter. But they needed two Favuzza goals in the final 1:36 to send the game to OT. And Emmanuel’s Castle made two point blank saves in the first overtime to keep the Raiders at bay.

“This was the fifth time we’ve seen these guys in a year,” Emmanuel coach Trevor Craven said. “We just didn’t make enough plays at the right time. They’re a great team, Coach Delanoy does a good job with them. They’re dangerous for the foreseeable future.”

Ference actually wasn’t the lone Raiders’ three-goal scorer. Jeff Potter also had a hat trick, while Coby Mercier had a pair and singles were by Nick Tavares and Connor Eck. Thomas Quigley had four goals and an assist to lead the Saints.

Riv goalie Sawyer Gagnon had a whopping 17 saves, and the ground ball battle was even. This was a classic game, Riv’s third straight season with a home quarterfinal.

“We basically say we’ve got to play together,” Delanoy said, “so we can continue to get another day together.”

Thanks especially to Ference and Heitmiller, they’ve got at least a few more.