Bryant drops 11-8 decision at Drexel Saturday afternoon

PHILADELPHIA – Junior midfielder Collins Gantz (Denver, Colo.) scored a career-high four goals against Drexel University, but it wouldn't be enough as the Dragons topped the Bulldogs, 11-8, Saturday afternoon on the road.

The Bulldogs (1-4) saw a three-goal lead disappear in the second quarter and couldn't contain the Dragon (2-4) offense in the second half despite pulling within a goal to open the fourth period. Rookie attack Cam Ziegler (Carlsbad, Calif.) added a pair of goals with an assist for a three-point day, while linemates Tucker James (Essex Fells, N.J.) and Shane Morrell (Glen Mills, Pa.) also got on the board with multi-point performances.

Ryan Belka paced Drexel to victory, scoring four times while adding a pair of assists for a game-high six points on the day. Cole Shafer added two goals and a helper, while nine different Dragons notched at least one point in the win.

James opened the scoring with an unassisted tally less than two minutes into the game, and Morrell would double that lead off a pass from Ziegler with 2:36 remaining in the opening stanza. Michael Kay got past Bryant goalie Gunnar Waldt (Freeland, Md.) (9 saves) with 1:31 showing on the clock, but Ziegler responded just 32 seconds later to send the Black and Gold into the second quarter with a 3-1 edge.

Gantz scored his first of the day just ticks into the second for the Bulldogs' largest lead of the day, 4-1, but Drexel would rattle off four straight from there to not just tie the score with 6:39 remaining, but to take over a 5-4 advantage on a Mason Pynn unassisted score with 4:51 to go before the break.

Morrell would dish a pass off to Gantz with 2:32 on the clock for the junior's second goal of the day to knot the score for the second time, 5-5, and that score would hold entering the halftime intermission.

Gantz completed his first hat trick of the season to start off scoring in the third, but it would mark the final Bryant lead of the afternoon.

Belka equaled Gantz's effort with his second and third of the day just 39 seconds apart for a 7-6 Drexel lead. Ziegler would tie the game for the fourth and final time, 7-7, off a feed from Morrell with 7:14 to go in the third, but the Dragons would score twice more in the final three minutes of the frame to carry a 9-7 lead into the final 15 minutes.

Gantz, assisted by James, would pull the Black and Gold back within one, 9-8, just 37 seconds into the fourth, but it was the final Bulldog score despite two more tallies from the hosts en route to the 11-8 final.

Drexel outshot the Bulldogs, 33-29, and edged out Saturday's visitors in ground balls, 21-20. Bryant senior captain Kevin Massa (Huntington, N.Y.) went 12-of-23 from the faceoff X with a game-high nine ground balls. Drexel netminder Jimmy Joe Granito made nine stops for the victory.

The Bulldogs will need to shake off the loss quickly, as they continue their Spring Break road trip and head to No. 2 North Carolina for a Tuesday afternoon matchup on ESPN3 (4:00 p.m.).