Women’s Lacrosse Secures 8–6 Victory Over Raiders in Season Opener

THE BASICS

Rivier University 6 vs. Salem State 8

Records: 

Rivier University  (0-1-0) 

Salem State Vikings (1-0-0)

Location: Nashua, NH 

Date: Saturday February 28^th, 2026

THE LEAD:
Jumping out to an early advantage and holding off a late push, the Salem State Vikings opened their season with an 8–6 victory over the Rivier University Raiders at home. The Vikings scored four straight goals to begin the contest and maintained control, building an 8–5 lead through three quarters. While the Raiders would continue to apply pressure and hold the Vikings scoreless in the fourth while also adding a late goal, but the Vikings' defense stood strong down the stretch to secure the season-opening win.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Salem State wasted no time setting the tone, opening the contest with four straight goals to build early momentum. The Vikings' aggressive offense and strong defensive pressure put the Raiders on their heels through the opening quarter.

The Raiders would respond before halftime, however, rallying with three consecutive goals to close the second quarter. The late surge trimmed the deficit for the Vikings, with the Vikings heading into halftime ahead by one goal. 

The third quarter featured a back-and-forth battle between the two sides. The Vikings would strike first with a pair of goals to add to its lead, but the Raiders would answer with a goal to pressure the Vikings. The Vikings responded once more with two additional goals in the third quarter, while the Raiders added another before the period ended, giving the Vikings an 8–5 lead heading into the final frame.

In the fourth quarter, Rivier's defense held strong, keeping the Vikings off the scoreboard. The Raiders managed to find the net once more to cut the lead to two, but the Vikings defense stood tall down the stretch, securing the 8–6 victory against the season opener against the Raiders 

 INSIDE THE NUMBERS: 

• Caitlyn O' Connell would lead the Vikings in caused turnovers with 3 of them against the Raiders of Rivier University. 
• Jordan Turcotte would lead the Vikings in offense against the Raiders scoring 3 goals. 
• Nora Bradley would have 11 saves against the Raiders. 

UP NEXT:

The Vikings are back in action on Tuesday March 3^rd, 2026 where they look to travel to Weston, MA to take on the Pride of Regis College. Opening Face-off is set to start at 5:00pm.