Women’s Soccer Advances to GNAC Semis with 6-0 Win vs. Rivier
BOSTON – Emmanuel women’s soccer is on its way to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Semifinals for the first time since 2019, following a 6-0 victory over the Rivier Raiders on Saturday afternoon at Clemente Field in the GNAC Quarterfinal Round.
BOSTON – Emmanuel women's soccer is on its way to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Semifinals for the first time since 2019, following a 6-0 victory over the Rivier Raiders on Saturday afternoon at Clemente Field in the GNAC Quarterfinal Round.
The two sides met just five days ago for Emmanuel's Senior Night with the Saints handing the Raiders a 7-0 defeat on Oct. 23.
Emmanuel picked up where they left off on Monday, scoring in the ninth minute on a goal by first-year Ciara Horan (Braintree, Mass.). A free-kick taken by sophomore Annebel Balogh de Galantha (Grafton, Mass.) from the top-right corner of the Rivier penalty area was sent toward the back post where an onrushing Horan scored from close range, giving EC a 1-0 lead.
Two minutes later, in the 11th, the Saints drew a penalty kick with Balogh de Galantha stepping up to take the shot. The second-year center back caught Raiders sophomore goalie Bri Nugent (Killington, Conn.) off-balance and slid the shot to the opposite side of the dive for a 2-0 edge.
Sophomore Sarah Dullaghan (Belmont, Mass.) scored the first of her three in the 14th minute, running onto a pass from senior Lily Tobin (Hanover, Mass.) that got in behind the Rivier defense. Dullaghan fired a right-footed shot across her body and into the left side, putting Emmanuel up 3-0.
Senior Adeline LeGault (Farmington, Conn.) scored from close range in the 20th minute while Dullaghan scored her second of the half in the 28th, capping the first-half scoring for the Saints for a 5-0 halftime lead.
Dullaghan finished off the hat trick in the 47th minute, scoring her team-leading 21st goal of the season while hitting her 50th point of the campaign. The sophomore forward is the first Saint player since 2009 to score at least 20 goals in a season and is just the second player in program history to have a 50-point year.
The Saints 6-0 win is the largest playoff victory in program history. Dullaghan adds her name to an exclusive list, being just the third player in team history with a playoff hat trick, joining a 2019 hat trick by Megan McMillen ('22) and a 2007 performance by Amber Di Nucci ('11).
Saints sophomore Gaby Baker (Grafton, Mass.) made a single save, improving to 16-2-0 this season. The shutout victory gives Baker the single-season program record for wins in a season and shutouts in a season.
Nugent finished the match with three saves in 45 minutes. Junior Maya Puma (Tyngsborough, Mass.) made four saves, playing the second half for Rivier.
Emmanuel (17-2-0) advances to the GNAC Semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 1, welcoming the No. 3 seed Lasell Lasers to Clemente Field for a 7:00 p.m. match. The Saints won the regular season meeting, 1-0, on Sept. 26. Rivier finishes their season at 10-7-3.
