NEC CHAMPS! Bulldogs return to NCAA tournament with 5-4 win over Hobart in title game Saturday

GENEVA, N.Y. – The Bryant University men's lacrosse team scored three third-quarter goals and got 10 saves from tournament MVP James Werner (New Rochelle, N.Y.) in a 5-4 win over top-seeded Hobart to claim its fifth Northeast Conference Tournament title and fourth berth into the NCAA tournament Saturday.

In the lowest-scoring championship game in NEC history, the Bulldogs (10-7) outdueled the Statesmen (9-7) to earn their first-ever win over Hobart at Boswell Field and remain a perfect 5-0 all-time in NEC Championship games.

"For me personally, this is something I really wanted for our senior class," said Bryant head coach Mike Pressler. "The Class of 2017 were freshmen the year we beat Syracuse, and they have been incredible ambassadors to our program for four years. For all of us involved with this team and for me in particular, we wanted this for them so badly."

Four-straight goals spanning halftime turned a two-goal Bulldog deficit into a two-goal lead from which the host Statesmen couldn't recover, as Bryant's defense limited NEC Player of the Year Frank Brown to just a single tally.

Three NEC All-Tournament Team selections came out of the defense, with senior Kyle Mummau (Carlsbad, Calif.) and redshirt-junior Chas South (Lincroft, N.J.) joining Werner. The starting defensemen duo combined for five caused turnovers and five ground balls in Saturday's title win, with Werner adding a game-high five ground balls to his 10 stops.

"We've seen James Werner be very consistent for the last four or five games," said Pressler. "He was really seeing the ball today and did a much improved job in the clearing game. He has had a remarkable season, and he was on his game this weekend."

But the Black and Gold struggled to find their groove in the opening two quarters, as offensive turnovers limited the Bulldogs' scoring opportunities and allowed Hobart would take a 2-0 lead after the first 15 minutes.

Five minutes into the second, the Bulldogs would finally break through, as redshirt-freshman Jake Buonaiuto (Miller Place, N.Y.) took a pass from junior linemate Cam Ziegler (Carlsbad, Calif.) just steps from the crease and fired it home to cut the deficit in half, 2-1.

With five minutes left to play before the half, the home side would renew its two-goal advantage. Werner made a save on an initial shot by Max Romm but gave up a rebound that found Bryan Hancock for a 12-yard shot that moved the score to 3-1. But senior midfielder Brett Baker (Ridgefield, Conn.) would respond quickly for the Black and Gold, coming down the wing and creating his own opportunity from seven yards out to cut Bryant's deficit back to one.

That score would stick into halftime, despite the Bulldogs trailing in shots, 19-8, and faceoff wins, 5-2.

In the third, though, the Bulldogs came out with new life and better possessions on offense, tying the game at the 7:35 mark when Ziegler – with a delayed penalty waiting – forced his way through the Hobart defense all the way to the crease, finessing a shot past goalie Jackson Brown (10 saves).

Just 40 seconds later, with the slashing penalty enforced, senior leading scorer and NEC All-Tournament Team selection Tucker James (Essex Fells, N.J.) gave the visitors their first lead of the game, 4-3, taking a pass from classmate Tom Forsberg (Huntington, N.Y.) and burying the shot for his fifth man-up goal of the season.

Less than two minutes later, All-NEC Second Teamer Kyle Cornell (Darien, Conn.) would double Bryant's lead with what would stand as the eventual game winner. The junior fired from 12 yards out to put the Bulldogs on top, 5-3, entering the final quarter.

"[Junior faceoff specialist] Kenny Massa did a great job winning the faceoff after Ziegler's goal, and to get the lead from Tucker and then tack on one more to turn the game around in the third really swayed the momentum our way.

"In the first half, we got away from what we wanted to do offensively," Pressler continued. "We were very impatient, took some back turnover shots and allowed them to create their tempo. In the second half, we were very opportunistic, and once we got the lead, with the way we were playing defense, I felt this would be a single-goal game right down to the wire."

Less than four minutes into the fourth, Brown released a rising shot from the right side that would cut it to a one-goal game, but huge individual defensive efforts would limit Hobart's opportunities to tie the game in the final minutes.

On consecutive Statesmen possessions, Mummau and South would each block a pass behind the goal to take over possession for the Black and Gold, leading a defensive stand that would allow the Bulldogs to run out the clock and preserve the 5-4 victory.

"We feel very confident in this kind of game," said Pressler. "We are a veteran group that has been in these situations before, and these guys know how to handle big situations."

As a team, the Bulldogs registered 11 caused turnovers and won the ground ball margin, 26-23. Hobart outshot the Black and Gold, 34-24, including firing 11 fourth-quarter shots, while J Andrew Spallanza went 9-for-13 from the X for the hosts.

The Bulldogs went 21-of-24 on the clear but were perfect until the final minutes of the fourth. Both sides went 1-for-1 with the extra man.

"We will go back to Smithfield and enjoy this 2017 NEC Tournament win," said Pressler. "This was a very taxing weekend, both mentally and physically, but we look forward to seeing who we play next. Whoever we have to play and wherever we have to go, we look forward to that challenge."

The Bulldogs will find out their NCAA fate Sunday night at 9 p.m. at the live selection show on ESPNU. The NCAA Play-In game will be played May 10 with First Round matchups slated for May 13-14 at non-predetermined campus sites.