BRISTOL, R.I. – The Roger Williams University men's lacrosse team defeated Rivier on Saturday afternoon, winning their non-conference matchup, 19-15, on Bayside Field.
 
The Hawks scored 19 goals in the game with top goal scorers, Matt Hemmert (Braintree, Mass.) and Kevin Murphy (Ramsey, N.J.), scoring five and four goals for the Hawks respectively. Murphy also had three ground balls in the matchup. Matt Halpin (Hanover, Mass.) and Brian Gazard (Ashland, Mass) lead the Hawks in assists both having two assists in the match.
 
Freshman David Rizzo (Methuen, Mass.) lead the Hawks defensively having a total of eight ground ball pickups during the game. Senior Brian Cumming (East Williston, N.Y.) was second on the team in the contest with seven pickups for the Hawks.
 
Rivier started off strong with two goals at the start of the game. The Hawks quickly responded with Hemmert putting away the first of his goals and a quick second goal from freshman Eric Brooks (Milford, Mass.) less than a minute later, sparking a four-goal run for the Hawks. The pair each then scored another goal in the following minutes making it 4-2 lead for the Hawks. Rivier's Michael Ference and Connor Eck tied the game up with a pair of goals having just 4:29 left in the first period.
 
The Hawks responded scoring five straight goals to end of the period, bringing the score to 9-4. After trading goals with Rivier at the start of the second period, the Hawks rattled off four straight goals over a span of 2:16 towards the end of the first half, taking a 15-6 lead into the break.  
 
In the beginning of the second half, Rivier came back strong putting away four goals in the third period, closing the gap that the Hawks had created in the first half. The Raiders continued to push for scoring opportunities but failed to maintain possession of the ball near the end of the game. The Hawks finished up with a pair of shots from Gazard and Ryan Vendetti (Farmington, Conn.) resulting in two more goals bringing the game to an end, holding on for a 19-15 win.
 
Roger Williams (3-2, 0-0 CCC) will be home yet again hosting Anna Maria on Thursday, Mar. 7 at 4:00pm on the Bayside Field, before hosting Wheaton Saturday, Mar. 9.