Women’s Soccer Bests Albertus Magnus, 2-0, Advances to GNAC Semifinals 

GNAC BRACKET

NASHUA, N.H. – The third-seed Rivier women's soccer team bested Albertus Magnus on home turf on Saturday afternoon, 2-0, to advance to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Semifinals for the first time since the 2000 campaign.

With the result, the Raiders improved to 10-5-6 while the sixth-seeded Falcons finished their season 10-5-4.

The Raiders opened the scoring in the eighth minute when senior Olivia Maxwell found space on the flank and delivered a pass to first-year Hannah Smith. Smith redirected the ball to junior Emily Harper, who placed her shot past the goalkeeper, giving the Raiders an early 1-0 lead.

Both teams continued to create opportunities, but the momentum shifted when Harper was fouled inside the box in the 36th minute, resulting in a penalty kick. Graduate student Darcy Wright stepped up and converted the penalty, placing it in the bottom right corner to extend the Raiders' lead to 2-0 before the game headed into halftime.

The second half featured a series of chances for both teams, but neither found the back of the net. First-year Lily Garey-Wright made a significant impact on the defensive line, providing two goal-line clearances that thwarted the Falcons' efforts to narrow the deficit.

Rivier outshot Albertus Magnus, 18-13, with five shots landing on target. Junior goalkeeper Bri Nugent recorded four saves in her 10th shutout win of the season.

The Raiders look ahead to Tuesday's semifinal round where they will travel to the No. 2 seed, Emmanuel (Mass.). Kickoff from Roberto Clemente Field is slated for 7:00 p.m.