WINTHROP, Mass. - All four top seeds collected victories in the 2024 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Quarterfinals on Saturday, Nov. 2. No. 1 seed Johnson & Wales, No. 2 Emmanuel, No. 3 Rivier, and No. 4 Lasell all collected victories at home to advance to the GNAC Semifinals, which take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Top-seeded JWU defeated No. 8 seed Regis 2-0, while Emmanuel put on an offensive display, scoring seven goals in a 7-1 win over No. 7 seed Norwich. Rivier held No.6 Albertus Magnus scoreless, 2-0, and Lasell survived a penalty kick shootout after a 1-1 tie with No. 5 Colby-Sawyer, netting four in the PK's round to knock off the Chargers.
#1 Johnson & Wales def. #8 Regis, 2-0
Full Recap Courtesy of the Johnson & Wales Athletic Communications Department
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Seniors Emily DeRoehn and Angelina Oliveira scored second-half goals for the JWU (Providence) women's soccer team in a 2-0 win over Regis (MA) College Saturday evening in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Quarterfinal action at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletic Complex.
The top-seeded Wildcats will now face No. 4 Lasell in a rematch of the 2022 GNAC Championship on Tuesday for a chance to play for the conference championship next weekend. JWU outshot the Pride 26-1 and avenged a scoreless tie with the Pride two weeks ago in Weston, Mass.
DeRoehn opened the scoring with a great individual effort less than 12 minutes into the second half, working her way around a defender before firing a low shot into the net for her sixth goal of the season. Oliveira added an insurance marker 20 minutes later with an upper 90 goal – her seventh of 2024.
Senior Carly McCrumb got the start in goal for JWU and made one save to improve to 7-2-1 on the season. Freshman Jamie Davies led all student-athletes with six shots.
#2 Emmanuel def. #7 Norwich, 7-1
Full Recap Courtesy of the Emmanuel Athletic Communications Department
BOSTON – Emmanuel women's soccer is back in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Semifinals following their 7-1 victory over the Norwich Cadets on Saturday afternoon in the GNAC Quarterfinal Round at Clemente Field.
The victory gives the Saints a seven-game winning streak as they improve to 16-2-1 this season. Norwich finishes their season at 10-6-4, ending the year with their best record in 13 seasons.
Emmanuel was out in front early, scoring twice in the opening five minutes for a 2-0 lead. Junior Liz McCormick scored on both occasions for the Saints, finishing a cross into a wide-open goal in the second minute before adding another tally in the fourth minute with a shot from long range.
Junior Sarah Dullaghan rounded out the scoring in the first half for the Saints, scoring in the 11th minute after a Norwich turnover led to a breakaway chance for Dullaghan. The nation's leading scorer made no mistake on the breakaway, sliding a shot past the Cadets onrushing goalie to give Emmanuel a 3-0 lead.
The Cadets pulled within two just after the half with Bella Roy scoring her fourth of the season. Off a Norwich free kick, Roy ran onto a loose ball and drove toward the Saints net. From 20 yards out, Roy fired a perfect right-footed shot into the top-left corner, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
Emmanuel put the game out of reach in a seven-minute span as Dullaghan finished off her hat trick with tallies in the 61st and 68th minutes to put the Saints ahead 5-1. McCormick would find her third of the day in the 81st minute while an own goal finished off the scoring in the Saints 7-1 victory.
Dullaghan's three-goal afternoon gives her 41 goals on the season as she becomes only the third player since 1982 in NCAA Division III women's soccer to score 40 goals in a single year, joining Katy Sturtz (43 goals) from Ohio Wesleyan in 1998 and Lindsey Benson (42 goals) from Gordon in 2002.
With the win, the Saints return to play on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 7:00 p.m., as they welcome the Rivier Raiders to Clemente Field for a spot in the GNAC Championship Game. The regular season meeting favored the Raiders as they defeated the Saints, 2-1, in Nashua, N.H. in late-September.
#3 Rivier def. #6 Albertus Magnus, 2-0
Full Recap Courtesy of the Rivier Athletic Communications Department
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.
#4 Lasell def. #5 Colby-Sawyer, 1-1 (PK: 3-1 LAS)
Full Recap Courtesy of the Lasell Athletic Communications Department
Newton, MA- In a thrilling showdown, Lasell University emerged victorious against #5 Colby-Sawyer, advancing in the tournament after a tense penalty shootout.
Colby-Sawyer struck first when Bridget O'Connell scored at 19:23 in the first half, assisted by Halle Pletzer, giving them a 1-0 lead. Lasell responded quickly, equalizing with Jordan Chatman's unassisted goal at 23:09.
Despite Colby-Sawyer dominating the shot count with 27 shots to Lasell's 8, the game remained tied through regulation and overtime. Both goalkeepers delivered strong performances; Gabriela Calidonio for Colby-Sawyer made 3 saves, while Lasell's Elizabeth DaSilva held it down with 9 saves, including 2 crucial ones during the shootout.
Defensively, Brianna Marrero made two key defensive saves, helping to keep Lasell in the game at critical moments. In the shootout, Lasell scored on all three out of four attempts, with Kaleigh Kosta, Brianna Marrero, and Mia Pineault each converting. Colby-Sawyer, on the other hand, was only able to convert their first attempt.