Bryant edged by Hobart in overtime, 7-6, in 2015 NEC opener

GENEVA, N.Y. – Senior attack Alex Love curled around the cage to fire a low laser 2:16 into overtime for his third goal of the game, lifting Hobart College to a 7-6 victory over the Bryant University men's lacrosse team Saturday afternoon in the 2015 Northeast Conference opener at Boswell Field.

The goal came following a save from Hobart (4-3, 1-0 NEC) sophomore goalie Jackson Brown to the open overtime session, as the Bulldogs (1-6, 0-1) drop their fourth-straight contest and second-consecutive one-goal decision.

Love's game-high three goals came off 11 shots for the home side, while Brendan Saylor added a pair of tallies and Brown finished the victory with 10 saves. The Bulldogs got single goals from six different scorers, while starting attack Tucker James (Essex Fells, N.J.) and Cam Zeigler (Carlsbad, Calif.) each collected a goal and an assist.

The Bulldogs also saw a pair of rookies – midfielders Jake Pellegrino (Glen Rock, N.J.) and Kenny Massa (Huntington, N.Y.) – net their first-career goals, while senior faceoff specialist Kevin Massa (Huntington, N.Y.) went 9-for-16 from the X with a game-best six ground balls. Junior goalie Gunnar Waldt (Freeland, Md.) turned away 12.

The Statesmen would capitalize on five Bryant penalties, going 4-for-5 with the extra man, including a 3-for-3 mark in the third quarter alone.

Love opening the game with a tricky score from up close eight minutes in for a 1-0 Hobart lead that would hold all the way through the first 10 minutes of the second stanza, when two Bulldog rookies hooked up to even the score at 1-1.

After working the ball deep into the offensive zone, starting midfielder Tom Kennedy (Farmingdale, N.Y.) found Ziegler waiting on the doorstep for the first Black and Gold tally of the day. Just 37 seconds later, Pellegrino scored the first goal of his career off a pass from James for the 2-1 Bulldog edge.

James would get the final tally of the half with 3:30 left on the clock, moving to the middle of the field to sling a burner past Brown to cap off the flurry of scores, all three coming within a two-minute span for a 3-1 halftime advantage.

But the Statesmen would get their offense going after the break, scoring three times while shutting out the Bulldogs whistle-to-whistle in the third. The stanza saw Hobart go a perfect 3-for-3 in extra man opportunities, as the hosts took a 4-3 edge into the fourth.

Kenny Massa reknotted the game at 4-4 just 90 seconds into the fourth quarter with his first-career goal, but with two scores in the next 10 minutes, Hobart would command a 6-4 lead entering the final 10 of regulation.

Sophomore transfer Tom Forsberg (Huntington, N.Y.) took a feed from Ziegler and got the Black and Gold back within one, 6-5, at the eight-minute mark, and junior Collins Gantz (Denver, Colo.) would serve up the fourth tie of the game, 6-6, in unassisted fashion as the clock ticked below six to play.

A save by Waldt in the final 60 seconds of regulation would lead to Bryant controlling the final possession, but the Bulldogs couldn't get a shot off before time expired, sending the squads to their first overtime session of the season.

Kevin Massa would win the opening faceoff in extra time, but a Kennedy shot would be turned aside by Brown, setting up the final possession and game-winning goal for the Statesmen.

On the day, Hobart outshot Bryant, 34-32, while the Bulldogs won the battle for ground balls, 23-20. Bryant was scoreless in three extra-man opportunities and turned the ball over 11 times to the Statesmen's 10.

The Bulldogs take a short break from NEC play for their next contest and will host Providence College at the Bryant Turf Complex Tuesday night (7 p.m.) to kick off the 2015 Ocean State Cup.