Men's Lacrosse Set to Battle Rivier In GNAC Quarterfinals

NASHUA, N.H.— The sixth seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's lacrosse team begins its quest for its first Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship, travelling to third seeded Rivier University (Rivier) in the GNAC Quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon. First faceoff against the Raiders is set for 1:00 p.m. on Joanne Merrill Field in Nashua, N.H.

 
#6 USJ BLUE JAYS (9-8, 5-5 GNAC) at #3 RIVIER RAIDERS (12-3, 8-2 GNAC) 
LOCATION: Joanne Merrill Field (Nashua, N.H.) 
DATE/TIME: Saturday, April 29 (1:00 p.m.)  
WATCH: Live Stream 
LIVE STATS: Live Stats 
TWITTER: @USJ_BlueJays | #FearTheFlock | #GoBlueJays 
 
USJ QUICK HITS 

• USJ earned the six seed in the postseason after finishing with a 9-8 record overall and a 5-5 mark in GNAC play. The Blue Jays finished the regular season in a three-way tie with Dean College and Johnson & Wales University, forcing tiebreaker scenarios to determine seeding.
• All three teams went 1-1 against each other head-to-head and had the same results against other conference opponents, forcing goal-differential (capped at six) between the tied teams to decide the tie. Dean was granted the highest seed with its +5 goal differential. USJ then defeated JWU in the new tiebreaker due to its head-to-head win earlier in the season.
• The Blue Jays have been on fire towards the tail end of the season, entering the postseason on a three-game winning streak, most recently defeating intrastate and conference rivals Albertus Magnus College, 20-4, on Tuesday.
• The Blue Jays are paced offensively by senior attack Evan Baden (Burlington, Conn.). Baden has tallied 65 points on the year, netting 48 goals while dishing out 17 assists. The goal tally is the fourth most in the GNAC.
• Sophomore midfield Christian Decker (Bristol, Conn.) has enjoyed a stellar debut season after transferring to USJ ahead of the 2023 campaign, ranking second on the team with 56 points and 36 goals, while leading the Blue Jays with 20 points.
• Freshman Nick Pestrichello (Wethersfield, Conn.) has been a force in his debut season, sitting third on the team with 46 points and 34 goals.
• Senior goalkeeper Trey McCann (Simsbury, Conn.) has been a presence in goal for USJ this year, posting an 8-8 record in between the pipes. The netminder has tallied 164 saves, a 52.2% save percentage and a 10.21 goals against average across 881:30 minutes of action.
• The Blue Jays have made teams pay for giving them man-up opportunities, leading the GNAC with 43 man-up goals, including 27 in conference play.
• Last season, USJ finished as the seventh seed, falling to Lasell University in the GNAC Quarterfinals.
• USJ have reached the playoffs in every season since the men's lacrosse team made its debut in 2020, btu have yet to advance past the quarterfinal round.

SCOUTING RIVIER

• Rivier finished the regular season with a 12-3 mark overall, and a 8-2 record in GNAC play, finishing in a three-way tie for second with Lasell and Saint Joseph's Maine. All three teams had identical 1-1 head-to-head record; however, the Lasers were the only team amongst the trio to defeat No. 1 seed Emmanuel, giving them the No. 2 seed., while Rivier's head-to-head victory over Saint Joseph's Maine gave them the No. 3 seed.
• The Raiders have been on fire entering postseason play, finishing the regular season on a four-game winning streak, including a 19-6 win over Anna Maria on
• Rivier are led by the attack duo of junior Michael Ference and sophomore Nicholas Tavares.
• Ference leads the team with 72 points, the fifth most in the GNAC, off 35 goals and a team-high 37 assists. His assist tally ranks him fourth in the conference.
• Tavares has been a goal scoring machine for Rivier this year, sitting fifth in the conference with 46 goals.
• Junior goalkeeper Sawyer Gagnon has been stellar in goal for the Raiders this year, posting an 11-3 record in between the pipes. The netminder ranks second in the GNAC in save percentage (57.9), third in total saves (184) and third in goals against average (8.16).
• Rivier have been one of the best offensive and defensive teams in the GNAC this season, ranking second in the conference in both goals scored (208) and goals against (120).
• The Raiders are making their 11^th straight appearance in the GNAC postseason. Last year, the team defeating Emmanuel in double overtime in the quarterfinals, before falling to Lasell in the semifinals.
• Rivier have reached the semifinals of the GNAC tournament in each of the last four seasons.

INSIDE THE SERIES 

• Saturday marks the fourth meeting all-time between the Blue Jays and Raiders.
• Rivier have had the upper hand against USJ, posting a perfect 3-0 record.
• The Raiders defeated the Blue Jays earlier this season, 20-12, in Nashua.
• The meeting is the first all-time in the postseason between the two programs.

UP NEXT 
With a victory, the Blue Jays would advance to the GNAC Semifinals for the first time in program history, taking on the winner of the No. 2 Lasell University and No. 7 Johnson & Wales University matchup. The semifinals are set to take place on Tuesday, May 2 at the site of the higher seed.

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