Bulldogs defeat Raiders, 4-1, in home opener Saturday afternoon

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University field hockey team found its first win of the season Saturday afternoon, defeating Colgate University, 4-1, in Providence.

The Bulldogs (1-3) returned to the Ocean State after a three-game series in California, taking on the Raiders (0-3) in their 2015 home opener at Brown University.

Junior Elena Borovskis (Pequannock, N.J.) set the tempo for the Bulldogs, notching her first goal of the season and the first of the match. After receiving the feed from junior Victoria Danby (Lancaster, Mass.), Borovskis sent the shot past Raiders' goalkeeper Maria Krull for the score in the third minute.

Danby extended her scoring streak to three-straight games, netting her fourth goal of the season and the second for the Bulldogs in the 38th minute of play. After collecting the pass from senior Bronwyn Walton (North Vancouver, B.C.), Danby carried the ball into the circle, shaking a couple of defenders and finishing into the right side of the cage.

Colgate found an answer to the Bulldogs' 2-0 lead midway through the second half, when Jessica Gardiner found Molly Klare at the top of the circle off a Raiders' penalty corner.

Bryant continued to press on, finding the Bulldogs' third goal of the match off a penalty corner in the 64th minute. Junior Erin Karcher (Kennet Square, Pa.) took the corner, finding Mikayla Fitzmaurice (Skowhegan, Maine) on the pass. The senior captain would stop the pass to set up Walton for the score at the top of the circle.

Nearly a minute later, the Black and Gold sealed the victory when sophomore Keighan Richardson (North Attleboro, Mass.) capitalized on a Bryant penalty shot, resulting in the 4-1 final score.

Freshman Marissa Elizardo (North Wales, Pa.) saw all 70 minutes in net for the Bulldogs, tallying her first career decision, saving three of Colgate's four attempts.

Raiders' goalie finished the game with six saves off Bryant's 10 shots on goal.

The Bulldogs return to action Monday, traveling to Cambridge to take on Harvard for a 1 p.m. start.