Rivier goalie Taylor Bruno robs NEC's Carol Lenig (28) during Tuesday's non-conference game at Conway Arena. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – It’s been quite a start to Thanksgiving Week for Rivier University women’s hockey forward Chloe Bryda.

The freshman from Cumberland, R.I.was named the MASCAC Rookie of the Week then showed why on Tuesday when she got the only goal the Raiders would need in a 2-0 non-conference win over New England College at Conway Arena.

“It’s been a great week,” said Bryda, who , after being stopped on a breakaway earlier in the third period by NEC goalie Kayden Lallier-Whissell, made a second break-in count a few minutes later at the 6:26 mark. “I feel like our team has been doing really good. I’m really excited that I got Rookie of the Week and that our team is doing really good.”

The Raiders are certainly at that, at 5-3 overall (4-1 conference) after being picked as the top team in the MASCAC by the coaches prior to the start of the season. Remember, this is the program that lost a heartbreaker in a four-overtime, historic MASCAC final last year to Plymouth State, which has since left the conference. This game almost felt like that as the Raiders had put a ton of pressure on the Pilgrims, outshooting them 34-19 over the first two periods without anything on the scoreboard.

“We’re a young team, and we’re still learning the game a little bit,” Raiders coach Marykate Drinkwater said. “You overhand a little bit when we want to play simple hockey. Their goalie played absolutely outstanding. She started to get us a little frustrated, we hit the post, we also missed the net quite a bit and their goalie kept them in the game. Games like that, I thought it wasn’t going to go our way. But we finally got one in by Chloe.”

“I think it was important that we just don’t give up, keep going at it,” Bryda said. “If you have bad shift, just get back out there, just finish through the game, don’t let down, keep going and eventually it will come to you.”

That’s what happened for her as after she came up empty on her first breakaway chance at the start of the period, she didn’t miss the second time vs. Lallier-Whissell, who had 43 saves.

“Chloe, she’s been absolutely outstanding,” Drinkwater said. “Incredible hands, incredible speed, uses her body well, she’s become a clutch player for us at certain times, getting us the go-ahead leads. When we get that lead we kind of relax a little bit and just play hockey.”

That’s what the Raiders had to do, as the 3-5 Pilgrims had a couple of power play chances but Raider goalie Taylor Bruno also stood tall in her net, earning the shutout with 30 saves. And NEC also hit iron, as one shot went off the crossbar with the score still 1-0.

Rivier’s Chloe Bryda scores the only goal the Raiders would need vs. NEC goalie Kayden Lallier-Whissell during the third period of Tuesday’s non-conference game at Conway Arena. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

However, Jess Driscoll was able to get one by Lallier-Whissell at 16:05 of the third during a mad scramble, the assist going to Maeve Kelly. Bryda, Bruno and the Raiders could all breathe easier.

But Drinkwater, who told her team before the start of the third period, “We have 20 minutes, and you have five days off” knows there’s work ahead.

“I think we have a good opportunity in our conference, but it’s never easy,” she said. “Everyone’s going to give us a good game. We got to be voted No. 1 in our conference, and now we have a target on our back, everyone’s going to show up to play and we have to show up every single day.”

Bryda, with six points in eight games, has done just that, as she’s in her version of hockey heaven at Riv.

“It’s been great,” she said. “I’m so happy to have the opportunity to play with my teammates. It’s unreal, I’m just really excited to be here.”