Bulldogs bounce back with 2-1 victory over UMass

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – After dropping to Howard just 36 hours before, the Bryant University men's soccer team bounced back with a 2-1 victory over the University of Massachusetts on Tuesday afternoon at the Bulldog Soccer Field.

Game Information

Bryant 2, UMass 1

Records: Bryant 2-3-0, UMass 4-2-0

Location: Bulldog Soccer Field | Smithfield, R.I.

Coach Purcell's Comments

"It was a great performace from our boys today. We came up with a game plan and we executed it perfectly. We showed a lot of grit, determination and resilience. It was a massive boost to our confidence and a massive win against a very tough team."

Key Moment

Freshman Diego Rodriguez (Woodbridge, Conn.) started a beautiful play through midfield, passing it off to sophomore Ben Williams (Unionville, Ontario) who sent it up to senior Alex DaCosta (Bristol, R.I.) for a quick touch and then fired it past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net to put the Bulldogs up one and claim the game winning goal.

Scoring Summary

• 52nd minute – UMass 1, Bryant 0 – After a free kick from Chandler O'Dwyer, James McPherson was able to sink a shot past Bryant's defense and into the net, giving UMass the first goal of the day.
• 66th minute – Bryant 1, UMass 1 – Charles DeSantis (Saint-Mathias-Sur-Richelieu, Quebec) fired a free kick from outside the box that deflected off a UMass defender and into the net tying the game up in the 66th minute.
• 73rd minute – Bryant 2, UMass 1 – Rodriguez charged up the field and crossed the ball over to Williams who passed it off to DaCosta and sent it to the back of the net to give Bryant the win.

Stats and Notes

• UMass previously held its 2019 opponents to just one goal, making Bryant the first team to score more than one goal on the Minutemen.
• The Bulldogs and Minutemen both fired 11 shots at goal, but Bryant outbeat them in accuracy by one with six to UMass' five.
• Diego's assist was the first point of his career with the Bulldogs.
• DeSantis' goal was his first of the season and third of his career.
• Williams' assist puts him at eight points on the season.
• DaCosta has now tallied points in each of the last four games and also has eight points thus far.
• Freshman Jake Spaulding (Topsfield, Mass.) registered the first shot of his career and senior Derek Blanchette (Hope, R.I.) registered his first of the season.
• After allowing three in the first half and having zero themselves, the Bulldogs had the advantage in corners claiming six to the Minutemen's two in the second half.

Up Next: Brown

Bryant hosts in-state rival Brown Sunday at 1 p.m. on the Bulldog Soccer Field.

Be sure to follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates during every game this season and an inside look at the program.