The Raiders celebrate a goal during their first conference win of the year Saturday in Nashua. (Photo courtesy of Rivier Athletics)

NASHUA – The Rivier men’s lacrosse team came back to win 16-3 after being down 4-2 to Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opponent Dean Saturday afternoon at Joanne Merrill Field.

With the win, the Raiders improved to 3-0 (1-0 GNAC), while the Bulldogs fell to 2-3 (0-2 GNAC).

HOW IT HAPPENED

Rivier opened the game with an even-strength goal from first-year Andrew Nee at 14:50 off a pass from classmate Colin Foley. Dean responded with three consecutive goals at 9:40, 6:55, and 5:51 to take a 3-1 lead. Rivier generated several late possessions, and sophomore Jake Lydon recorded multiple saves to keep the deficit at two heading into the quarter break.

First-year Henri Brochu scored at 13:40 to cut the margin to one before Dean extended its lead to 4-2 at 11:28. Rivier answered with goals from sophomore Aiden Conley at 10:37 and sophomore James DelPrete at 8:53 and 6:40 to move ahead 5-4. Dean tied the game at 5-5 at 5:45 and then went up 6-5 at 2:27. DelPrete equalized at 1:37, and Brochu added another with 31 seconds remaining to give Rivier a 7-6 halftime advantage.

Senior Braydon Bourque scored 24 seconds into the period to extend the lead to 8-6. Conley added a man-down goal at 11:04 and followed with another at 8:55. DelPrete scored at 3:05 to make it 11-6. Dean converted a man-up opportunity at 2:48, but Rivier closed the quarter with two goals from sophomore Mason Schultz in the final 11 seconds to take a 13-7 lead.

Nee scored unassisted at 13:27, and Conley added another at 12:33 to extend the advantage to 15-7. Dean scored at 12:20 and later added a man-up goal at 2:20. Conley recorded his final goal of the day at 2:03, and Rivier maintained possession through the closing minutes to secure the 16-9 result.

BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN

As a team, the Raiders outshot Dean 43-33…Rivier held a slight advantage in face-offs 14-13…Conley’s seven-point performance (5-2-7) set a new career-high in goals and points…Brochu’s two goals were the first of his collegiate career.

UP NEXT

The Raiders travel to non-conference opponent VTSU-Castleton on Wednesday, Mar. 10. The opening face-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at Dave Wolk Stadium.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

RIVIER 14, DEAN 3

The Rivier women’s lacrosse team dominated in its Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opener at Grant Field as junior Sofia Cebrero celebrated her 100th career point.

With the win, the Raiders improved to 1-2 (1-0 GNAC), while the Bulldogs fell to 0-2 (0-1 GNAC).

First-year Olivia Wheeler opened the scoring at 8:42 with a free position goal. Sophomore Ashlynn Ledoux doubled Rivier’s lead just 32 seconds later with an unassisted goal. First-year Chloe Waldron capped off the first quarter scoring with a free position tally with 3:26 remaining.

First-year Hayleigh Young pushed the Raiders’ lead to four just under five minutes into the second quarter, and sophomore Brooke Carter added another less than two minutes later for Rivier’s fifth straight unassisted goal. The Raiders broke the game open with a three-goal burst in just 1:18, highlighted by a free-position finish from Cebrero before she converted again off a feed from junior Shaelyn Burke. Wheeler capped the first-half surge at the 2:35 mark, sending Rivier into the break with a commanding 8-0 advantage.

Coming out of the break, Young and Ledoux struck just 1:03 apart to push the margin to 10. The teams then played through a 5:15 scoreless stretch before Dean broke through with its first goal at the 3:27 mark, adding another with 2:03 remaining to cut the deficit to eight.

Wheeler completed her hat trick at 10:30 of the fourth, and Burke connected with Cebrero once again to restore the 10-goal cushion, securing Cebrero’s 100th career point in the process. Carter added her second of the day before Dean tallied its third, and Ledoux closed out the scoring at 1:04 to seal the 14-3 victory.

As a team, Rivier outshot the Bulldogs 31-16.The Raiders held a slight edge in draw controls 11-7, with Young recording a team-high four.

Defensively, the Raiders caused eight turnovers, led by senior Ashley Talbot and Ledoux with two, compared to Dean’s three. First-year Alissa Eddy posted a team-high six ground balls

UP NEXT

The Raiders return home Wednesday for a GNAC matchup with Emmanuel (Mass.). The opening draw is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at Joanne Merrill Field.