STANDISH, Maine – #1 Saint Joseph's College (14-3, 13-0 GNAC) will host #8 Rivier University (8-9, 6-7 GNAC) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's lacrosse tournament quarterfinal on Saturday at 11:30 AM.
GAME COVERAGE: LIVE STATS | VIDEO
The winner of the Monks/Raiders matchup will face the victor of the #4 Lasell/#5 Colby-Sawyer quarterfinal on Tuesday (time TBD). The higher seed will host throughout the tournament.
2026 GNAC Women's Lacrosse Tournament Schedule
Quarterfinals – Saturday, April 25 (Hosted by higher seeds)
- #1 Saint Joseph's (Maine) vs. #8 Rivier – 11:30 AM
- #2 Emmanuel vs. #7 New England College – 1:00 PM
- #3 Norwich vs. #6 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) – 2:00 PM
- #4 Lasell vs. #5 Colby-Sawyer – 11:00 AM
Semifinals – Tuesday, April 28 (Hosted by remaining higher seeds)
- Winner of 1/8 vs. Winner of 4/5 – TBD
- Winner of 2/7 vs. Winner of 3/6 – TBD
Championship – Saturday, May 2 (Hosted by highest remaining seed)
HOW THEY STACK UP*
Saint Joseph's enters postseason play as one of the top teams in the GNAC, leading the conference in goals (231), assists (138), goals per game (17.77), shots (498), shots on goal (379), ground balls (316), goals allowed (64), goals-against average (4.95), and save percentage (49.2%). The Monks also rank second in draw controls (196) and draw controls per game (15.08), while placing among the top three in shots on goal percentage (76.1%) and caused turnovers (195).
Rivier brings a defensive-minded approach into the postseason, ranking second in caused turnovers (197) and fourth in ground balls (270), goals allowed (97), and goals-against average (7.56). The Raiders also rank fifth in turnovers forced (293) and show efficiency offensively, placing sixth in both shots per game (26.62) and shots on goal percentage (74.9%).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Saint Joseph's offense is led by senior Celia Melanson, who tops the team with 72 assists and 88 points. Junior Taylor Dumond (55 goals, 59 points) and sophomore Ella Highbarger (53 goals, 63 points) headline the scoring attack, while senior Sophia Burton (29 goals, 44 points) and sophomore Zoey Lailer (24 goals, 41 points) provide additional depth.
In the possession game, sophomore Ava Molineaux leads the team with 80 draw controls and 66 ground balls to go along with 45 caused turnovers. Highbarger (50 draw controls, 35 ground balls, 31 caused turnovers) and Dumond (43 draw controls, 36 ground balls) contribute across all phases. Defensively, senior Elle Hall has totaled 22 caused turnovers and 26 ground balls, while freshman Kya Duprey has added 15 caused turnovers. In goal, junior Julia Price (59 saves, 7.32 GAA) and senior Alexis Eldridge (46 saves, 7.01 GAA) have split time.
Rivier's offense is paced by Sofia Cebrero (29 goals, 16 assists, 45 points), with Olivia Wheeler (32 goals), Ashlynn Ledoux (26 goals), and Brooke Carter (20 goals) adding scoring support. Hayleigh Young contributes across the board with 17 goals, 77 draw controls, 46 ground balls, and 31 caused turnovers.
Defensively, Young, Shaelyn Burke (26 CT, 31 GB), and Chloe Waldron (20 CT, 25 GB) lead the way. Goalkeeper Arrianna Imbriano has handled every minute in net, totaling 101 saves with a 7.25 goals-against average.
ON THE SIDELINES
Saint Joseph's: Lydia Dexter '23 (2nd season, 26-9, .743)
Rivier: Maura Murphy (6th season, 34-44, .436)
EARLIER THIS SEASON
April 8, 2026: Saint Joseph's def. Rivier, 15-7 (Nashua, N.H.)
The Monks built a 5-1 lead after one quarter and carried a 9-3 advantage into halftime behind a balanced offensive effort. Taylor Dumond led the way with four goals, while Kiley Webber added three goals and an assist. Zoey Lailer scored three times, Ella Highbarger contributed three goals and an assist, and Celia Melanson dished out five assists.
Saint Joseph's controlled possession and tempo, holding advantages in shots (34-16), ground balls (30-17), and draw controls (14-10), while forcing 39 turnovers and limiting Rivier to 16-for-35 clearing.
SERIES HISTORY
Saint Joseph's is 14-2 all-time versus Rivier University and has won six consecutive meetings with the Raiders.
*Versus GNAC opponents
