Rivier College to add field hockey, lacrosse to athletic offerings

New sports designed to help the College and the conference grow

NASHUA, N.H.—Rivier College has announced that three new athletics teams are slated to begin competition in the 2009-2010 academic year. The Raiders are adding women's field hockey and men's and women's lacrosse to the school's current offerings, which include men's baseball, basketball, cross-country, soccer and volleyball and women's basketball, cross-country, soccer, softball and volleyball. 

Athletics Director Joanne Merrill says that there are several reasons for the additions. "We've had a desire to expand the program and we’re hoping to attract more students and better fit the needs of our current population."
According to Dave Boisvert, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Rivier's admissions counselors receive frequent inquires about field hockey and lacrosse. "We believe that adding these two sports at this time will enhance an already successful athletic program—throughout the Northeast, both lacrosse and field hockey have grown in popularity in the last several years."

Merrill says that many of the students Rivier appeals to have played field hockey in high school. In 2007-2008, the school had a field hockey club with 20 students involved. While Merrill admits those numbers don't directly translate to students who would play on a team, it does show an interest.

"We're also trying to fit the needs of our conference—several other schools in the GNAC are adding lacrosse programs as well," Merrill explains. Rivier has fields on campus that are not used in the spring; lacrosse allows the College to add a sport without creating a need for additional space to play.

The new sports will help Rivier better reflect the NCAA Division III philosophy, which encourages member institutions to have as broad-based an athletics program as the school can accommodate.

Rivier's athletics department will add two new full-time coaches: one for cross-country and men's lacrosse and one for women's lacrosse and field hockey. In April, Rivier hired Rob Ciarlo as head coach for baseball and men's soccer. Head men's basketball coach Dave Morissette, who formerly coached cross country, has also been named director of intramural sports. Merrill says that Rivier has seen an increasing demand for intramural sports over the last few years, but didn't have anyone to organize them until now.

"We're definitely heading in the right direction with full-time coaches," Merrill says. "They're more accessible for current and prospective students." She points out that consistency helps Rivier's student athletes perform better—the teams with full-time coaches who have been at Rivier for a while have done the best. In 2007-2008, the men's and women's volleyball teams both claimed GNAC Championship titles under the guidance of coach Craig Kolek; Coach Kelly O'Connell led the women's softball team to a GNAC Championship and the best season in program history. In 2007, Dave Morissette and the men's basketball team claimed their first GNAC Championship.