Women’s Lacrosse Opens GNAC Play With Road Win at Rivier

NASHUA, N.H. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's lacrosse team opened Great Northeast Athletic Conference play with a 13–11 road victory over Rivier University on a blustery Saturday afternoon at Joanne Merrill Field. With the win, the Blue Jays improved to 2–3 overall and 1–0 in GNAC action, while the Raiders fell to 1–4 overall and 1–2 in conference play. USJ has now won four straight meetings against Rivier, though the Raiders still hold a 10–4 edge in the all‑time series.

HOW IT HAPPENED

USJ set the tone early, scoring four times in the opening quarter to take a 4–1 lead. Freshman attacker Kailey Krusewski (Newington, Conn.) netted two goals in the frame, while junior attacker Anna LeGault (Colchester, Conn.) and sophomore midfielder Kaylynn Lapointe (Bristol, Conn.) also found the back of the net.

The Blue Jays continued to apply pressure in the second quarter, extending their lead behind two more goals from Krusewski and another from LeGault to take a 7–5 advantage into halftime.

USJ created separation in the third quarter, opening the period with a goal from junior midfielder Paige Rieger (New Fairfield, Conn.). Despite a Rivier response, the Blue Jays closed the quarter on a 3–1 run—highlighted by a player‑down goal and a player-up tally from Krusewski—to carry an 11–7 lead into the final 15 minutes.

Rivier made a late push in the fourth quarter, opening the period with back‑to‑back goals to trim the deficit to 11–9 with 12 minutes remaining. Senior midfielder Alana Picard (Windsor Locks, Conn.) converted a free‑position shot midway through the quarter to push USJ's lead back to three, but the Raiders answered with two more goals to pull within one, 12–11, with just under seven minutes left in regulation.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Krusewski led all scorers with a career‑high seven goals, including a player-down and a player-up tally.
• LeGault finished with three goals and three assists, while Picard added one goal, one assist, and a game‑high seven draw controls.
• Lapointe and Rieger each chipped in a goal for the Blue Jays.
• USJ outshot Rivier 45–25, including 36–21 in shots on goal, and held a 14–12 edge in draw controls. The Blue Jays also forced 18 Rivier turnovers on the afternoon.
• In goal, senior goalkeeper Colleen Stringer (Point Lookout, N.Y.) earned the win (2–3), making 10 saves in a complete‑game effort.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays return to action on Tuesday, March 17 at home for a GNAC contest versus Lasell University. The action between the Blue Jays and Lasers is set to begin at 4 p.m. from the USJ Lacrosse Field in West Hartford, Conn.

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