Rivier To Host NCAA Championship First Round Matchup Against Maine Maritime

Release Courtesy of Rivier Athletic Communications

NASHUA, N.H. – The Rivier men's lacrosse team is set to make its national tournament debut on Wednesday, May 7, when the Raiders host Maine Maritime in the First Round of the NCAA Division III Championship at Joanne Merrill Field at 4:00 p.m. 

After winning the program's first-ever Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship, Rivier enters the national tournament riding a 14-game winning streak with a 16-1 overall record. Maine Maritime, champion of the North Atlantic Conference (NAC), comes in at 10-5 and is making its third-ever NCAA appearance.

Rivier clinched the GNAC title with a 9-7 win over Lasell on Saturday, May 3. The Raiders jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter and never trailed, holding off several comeback attempts. Connor Eck led the way with a hat trick, while senior Sawyer Hallscored twice. Gradaute student Michael Ference and senior Michael Zapatka each added goals, with Zapatka's third-quarter finish earning him GNAC Tournament MVP honors. Graduate student goalie Sawyer Gagnon made 13 saves to improve to 14-1 on the year. Graduate student Coby Mercier provided a key insurance goal late in the fourth. Senior Chris Heitmiller, Ference, Gagnon, and graduate defender Adam Hailey joined Zapatka on the All-Tournament Team.

The Raiders advanced to the final after edging the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) 10-9 in the semifinal. Rivier surged ahead with three straight goals in the fourth quarter by Eck, Heitmiller, and junior Sean Callinan. Heitmiller recorded a hat trick, while Zapatka and Mercier both had a goal and three assists. Gagnon made five saves, and the defense held strong in the final seconds to send the Raiders to their first championship appearance. 

In the quarterfinals, Rivier rolled to a 15-4 win over JWU (Providence), led by five goals and four assists from Ference and five goals from Eck. The Raiders outshot JWU, 48-24, and were perfect on clears, finishing 22-for-22. Sophomore Noah Zeman controlled the faceoff X, winning nine of 12 draws, while Hailey led the defense with six ground balls and four caused turnovers.

Rivier ranks second nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 6.41 goals per game. The team also holds the 21st-best scoring margin in Division III at +7.06 and ranks 44th in caused turnovers per game with 11.35. The Raiders outscored their opponents 229-109 and outshot them 715-485.

Ference leads the team with 81 points on 29 goals and 52 assists, ranking 11th nationally in assists per game and 48th in points per game. Heitmiller follows with 61 points, while Zapatka has 58, Mercier 57, and Eck 56. Hall (17 goals, five assists) and Callinan (eight goals, eight assists) made key offensive contributions as well.

On the defensive end, Hailey registered 39 caused turnovers and 47 ground balls. Senior classmates Parker Williams and Joseph O'Reilly have each forced 20 turnovers, while junior Scott Miller has contributed 16 caused turnovers and 29 ground balls. Sophomore Cole Ronalter and graduate student Robert DelPrete have both added 13 caused turnovers.

Gagnon ranks among the top goalies in the country, ranking second in goals against average at 6.99 and fifth in save percentage at .618. He has made 165 saves across his 15 appearances.

Rivier is 2-0 all-time against Maine Maritime, including an 11-9 win on April 2, 2022. The Mariners arrive on a six-game winning streak.

Offensively, Maine Maritime is led by Brendan Reddington with 33 goals and 52 assists, Tobey Lappin with 60 goals and 21 assists, Trey Marcil with 42 goals and 36 assists, and Sam Nichol with 46 goals and eight assists. In goal, Andrew Noyes has started 12 games, posting a 12.23 goals-against average and a .534 save percentage.

The winner of Wednesday's first-round game will travel to Bowdoin for a second-round matchup on Saturday, May 10 at Whittier Field at 12:00 p.m. The full tournament bracket is available at NCAA.com.