Raiders Fall In GNAC Playoffs To Lasell – 1st GNAC Post Season Appearance For The Program

Newton, Mass. – The Rivier College men's lacrosse team fell to the Lasell College Lasers in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) quarterfinals 23 – 1. The Raiders, in just their 3rd collegiate season and first under head coach Jay DeLanoy, did well to qualify for the post season tournament. This season's GNAC playoff bid is the first trip into post season play for the Raider's lacrosse program ever. Coach DeLanoy inherited a program that had known only one victory in the twenty-one total contests played over the first two seasons. In the 2012 season, under coach DeLanoy's guidance, the Raiders Men's Lacrosse team won four games and began to lay the basis for the program moving forward.

This year's Raider team also accumulated the largest increase in Power Rating of any team in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference as rated by Laxpower.com. Rivier's improvement of a +12.05 rating points is more than double the amount of the second most improved team's rating in the GNAC.

In the final game, the Raiders once again received a stand-up performance in goal from Chris Benoit (junior, Blackstone, MA). Benoit made 15 saves in the loss. Mike Arricale (freshmen, Billerica, MA) had the lone goal for the Raiders with an assist from Shawn Donovan (sophomore, Tewksbury, MA). Ryan Woolaver (freshmen, Tewksbury, MA) had 3 shots on the day for Rivier, while Jeff Kelly (sophomore, Westborough, MA) and Arricale had 2 each, and Donovan and Kevin Conley (junior, Nashua, NH) had 1 shot each.

The Lasers were led by junior Dylan Gray (Bayport, N.Y.) broke a pair of single-game records, tallying 12 points on ten goals and two assists. Senior Adam Foss (Billerica, Mass.) set the single game record for face-offs won with 19 wins this afternoon, which also helped him set the single season record for face-offs won with 148 this year. Mike Dupont added three goals, while Charles Graham (Londonderry, N.H.) and Jake LaMorte (Walpole, Mass.) each added a pair of goals. LaMorte led Lasell in assists with four while Foss added three helpers as well.

The Lasers dominated possession, winning 25 – 28 face-offs in the game and scooping up 56 groundballs to 13 for Rivier. Lasell opened up leads of 7 – 0 after the first quarter and 16 – 0 at the half on their way to a 23 – 1 final.

Rivier finished the year 4 – 10, while Lasell improved to 12 – 4 and will host Norwich University in a GNAC semifinal on Friday April 27th at Grellier field.