HENNIKER, N.H. - The New England College men's soccer team fell at home to inner state foe Rivier University 2-1 on Tuesday afternoon.  

The opening half was a tightly contested battle, with both teams pushing for early momentum.  Alejandro Quezada fired the first shot that would go just wide for the visiting Raiders. The Pilgrims responded with a shot by junior Jack LaBroad (East Kingston, N.H.) that forced a save from Raider's goalkeeper Logan Clough. Possession shifted frequently through a hard-fought battle in the midfield, with neither side able to gain a clear edge. Kamar Matthew-Murray fired a shot, looking to put the visitors on the board, but junior goalkeeper Matt Guzman (San Bernandino, Calif.) made the save. The teams headed into halftime at a 0-0 deadlock.  

The Raiders came out strong in the second half, launching a series of shots that narrowly missed the target. The Raiders broke through in the 59th minute as Luiggi Ferreira found the foot of Vincent Arsenov to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead. The Raiders continued to apply the offensive pressure, firing consecutive shots on goal, both denied by Guzman. Quezada doubled the advantage, finding the back of the net to extend the lead to 2-0. The 'Grims responded after earning a penalty following a foul in the box and senior Noel Huliselan (Jakarta, Indonesia) converted to cut the deficit to 2-1. The 'Grims continued to fight in the final minutes of action, looking to tie the match up, but the Raiders came away with the 2-1 victory.  

The Raiders outshot the Pilgrims 12-4 and held an 8-2 shots on target ratio. Guzman played the full 90 minutes in net and recorded six saves.  

The Pilgrims hit the road on Saturday as they face GNAC opponent University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) with a 5:00 PM start.  

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