HENNIKER, N.H. - On Saturday April 25th, the New England College women's lacrosse team will head to Boston, Massachusetts for a first-round matchup against Emmanuel College in the Quarterfinals of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) postseason tournament. This will be the Pilgrims' first postseason appearance since joining the GNAC back in 2024.
The Saints earned the No. 2 seed after posting a 12-1 conference record, entering the tournament 13-4 overall. The Pilgrims secured the No. 7 seed following a 12-11 victory over Rivier on Wednesday night, finishing the regular season 7-6 in GNAC play and 11-6 overall. NEC opened the year with a strong 7-0 start and will look to shake things up in its first GNAC postseason appearance.
These two teams met earlier this season on March 25th, with Emmanuel earning a narrow 12-11 victory on Don Melander Field. The Saints carried a 6-4 lead into halftime and extended it to three early in the third quarter. NEC responded with a strong stretch, scoring three times while EC added a late tally, sending the Saints into the fourth frame with a two-goal advantage. The 'Grims surged ahead with four straight goals to go up by two, but the Saints responded with three late goals to secure the victory.
This season, NEC has been led offensively by sophomore Riley Davis (Weare, N.H.) and senior Meadow Gilchrist (Stamford, Connecticut), while juniors Carmela Goodwin (Lebanon, N.H.) and Alexis Hornsby (Atkinson, N.H.) have controlled the midfield.
Davis led the team with 65 goals, tied for first in the GNAC, while Gilchrist totaled 59 goals and 26 assists for 85 points, ranking third in the conference in points. Gilchrist also surpassed the 200-career-point milestone on March 18th and currently sits fourth in program history with 255 career points. Senior Mackenzie McDonald (Boscawen, N.H.) has been a key playmaker for the Pilgrims, leading the team with 43 assists, which is second most in a single season in program history and also ranks her third in the GNAC. The senior also leads NEC with 76 draw controls.
Freshman Tatum Villa (Framingham, Mass.) looks to stay strong between the pipes, recording 112 saves this season, placing her fourth in the conference. She will be tested against the Saints' top scorer, Madeline Wright, who sits fourth in the GNAC with 63 goals.
In the earlier matchup, Emmanuel's Anna Nichols led all scorers with five goals, while the NEC defense limited Wright to just two. Davis paced the Pilgrims with four goals, and Gilchrist recorded five points on two goals and three assists. Hornsby chipped in five draw controls and two caused turnovers, while Villa added eight saves along with four ground balls and three caused turnovers.
NEC has won three of its last four games and enters the tournament following a key one-goal victory over Rivier. Emmanuel comes into the matchup on an eight-game winning streak since its meeting with the Pilgrims. Saturday's GNAC quarterfinal game is set for a 1:00 PM start on Roberto Clemente Field and can be streamed live here.
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