STANDISH, Maine – #6 Saint Joseph's College (11-8, 7-4 GNAC) will play at #1 Rivier University (17-0, 11-0 GNAC) in the 2026 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's lacrosse tournament championship on Saturday at 1:00 PM.
GAME COVERAGE: LIVE STATS | VIDEO
2026 GNAC Men's Lacrosse Tournament Schedule
Quarterfinals – Saturday, April 25 (Hosted by higher seeds)
#1 Rivier def. #8 Regis, 15-4
#2 University of Saint Joseph def. #7 Dean, 21-10
#6 Saint Joseph's def. #3 Lasell, 7-6
#5 Norwich def. #4 Emmanuel, 19-5
Semifinals – Wednesday, April 29 (Hosted by remaining higher seeds)
#1 Rivier def. #5 Norwich, 13-11
#6 Saint Joseph's def. #2 University of Saint Joseph, 8-6
Championship – Saturday, May 2 (Hosted by highest remaining seed)
#1 Rivier vs. #6 Saint Joseph's – 1:00 PM
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Saint Joseph's advanced to its first-ever GNAC Championship with back-to-back postseason upset victories defined by timely scoring and strong play in goal. In the quarterfinals last Saturday, the Monks outlasted #3 Lasell, as Joseph Kiedaisch, Jack Leach, and Jon Elliott led the offense before Maxwell Plunske netted the overtime game-winner off a Kiedaisch assist. Jake Dernier anchored the win with a career-high 22 saves.
In the semifinal victory at #2 University of Saint Joseph on Wednesday, Saint Joseph's erased a 5-3 third-quarter deficit with three straight goals from Aidan Byrne, Nicolas Michaud, and Cody Southwick to take the lead. Brandon Cavicchi extended the advantage in the fourth before Kiedaisch added a key insurance goal. Despite being outshot 50-22, the Monks controlled ground balls (35-30), face-offs (12-6), and clears (21-22), while Dernier made 13 saves to secure the 8-6 victory.
Rivier advanced to the GNAC Championship with a pair of decisive postseason wins. In the quarterfinals last Saturday, the Raiders rolled past Regis, building a 6-2 halftime lead before a 5-0 third-quarter run put the game out of reach. Mason Schultz led the offense with six goals and an assist, while Conor Walsh added four goals and Andrew Nee contributed a goal and three assists. Jake Lydon made nine saves, and Luke Armano and Logan Layton each caused four turnovers in the win.
In the semifinal on Wednesday, Rivier used a pair of runs to defeat Norwich, 13-11. After falling behind 2-0, the Raiders scored four straight goals in the first quarter, including three from Aiden Conley. Rivier then opened the third quarter with five consecutive goals to build an 11-4 lead before holding off a late Norwich rally. Conley finished with five goals and an assist, and Lydon made 11 saves.
HOW THEY STACK UP*
Saint Joseph's entered postseason play with a strong statistical profile, ranking third in man-up percentage (30.6%), goals allowed (72), goals-against average (6.58), and face-off percentage (66.2%) in conference play. The Monks also rank fourth in clear percentage (84.6%) and fifth in shooting percentage (32.3%) and shots on goal percentage (61.6%).
Rivier led the GNAC in goals (183), assists (110), goals per game (16.64), ground balls (479), face-off percentage (72.5%), clear percentage (87.6%), goals allowed (51), goals-against average (4.62), and save percentage (65.8%) during the regular season. The Raiders also ranked second in shots (544), shots on goal (339), and shooting percentage (33.6%), while sitting fifth in caused turnovers (125). On extra-man chances, Rivier was seventh in man-up percentage (25.0%) with eight goals on 32 opportunities.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Saint Joseph's features a balanced offensive attack led by Nicolas Michaud, who has totaled 69 points on a team-high 54 goals with 15 assists, while Brandon Cavicchi has matched that output with 69 points on 45 goals and a team-best 24 assists. Joseph Kiedaisch ranks third with 52 points on 27 goals and 25 assists, and Noah Schaeffer has added 25 goals and 13 assists for 38 points .
In the possession game, Zander Kirk leads the Monks with 106 ground balls and 147 face-off wins, while Cody Southwick has contributed 78 ground balls and 129 face-off victories. Defensively, Kevin Wood has posted 31 caused turnovers and 43 ground balls, Tony Samiotes has added 21 caused turnovers and 44 ground balls, and Alec Henry has recorded 18 caused turnovers with 35 ground balls .
In goal, Reed Wescott has logged 705 minutes with 100 saves, a 9.87 goals-against average, and a .463 save percentage. More recently, Jake Dernier has posted 71 saves with a 6.83 GAA and a .651 save percentage over 333:41 in net.
Rivier features a high-powered offensive attack led by Conor Walsh, who has totaled 61 points on 34 goals and 27 assists, while Mason Schultz and Aiden Conley have each added 54 points with 44 and 42 goals, respectively. James DelPrete (30g, 17a) and Andrew Nee (28g, 17a) have also been key contributors, while Henri Brochu has posted 42 points on 21 goals and 21 assists .
In the possession game, Owen McDuffie leads the Raiders with 104 ground balls and 158 face-off wins, while Colin Foley has added 60 ground balls and 33 caused turnovers. Defensively, Logan Layton has recorded 32 caused turnovers with 44 ground balls, and Luke Armano has contributed 19 caused turnovers with 22 ground balls .
In goal, Jake Lydon has anchored the defense with 157 saves, a 4.92 goals-against average, and a .680 save percentage over 901:40 of action, helping lead Rivier to an unbeaten record.
ON THE SIDELINES
Saint Joseph's: Matt Gilbert (2nd season, 18-17, .514)
Rivier University: James DeLanoy (15th season, 145-85, .630)
EARLIER THIS SEASON
April 15, 2026: Rivier def. SJC, 11-5 (Standish, Maine)
Saint Joseph's dropped an 11-5 decision to Rivier University at the SJC Athletics Complex on Wednesday, April 15.
The Monks opened the scoring on a goal from Joseph Kiedaisch, but Rivier responded with four straight tallies to take a 4-1 lead after one and added three more in the second to build a 7-1 halftime advantage. The Raiders extended the margin to 9-2 through three quarters before Saint Joseph's scored three of the final five goals in the fourth.
Rivier controlled possession with a 39-26 shots advantage and a 14-6 edge in face-offs. Henri Brochu led the Raiders with four goals, while Liam Conley totaled two goals and an assist and Mason Schultz added two goals. For Saint Joseph's, Nicolas Michaud recorded one goal and two assists, Kiedaisch added a goal and an assist, and Chase Ranger, Brandon Cavicchi, and Noah Schaeffer each scored. Jake Lydon made 13 saves for Rivier, while Jake Dernier stopped seven shots in relief.
SERIES HISTORY
With the loss, Saint Joseph's fell to 10-7 all-time against Rivier University.
*Versus GNAC opponents
