BULLDOGS SNAP FIVE-GAME SKID WITH 17-7 WIN OVER LONG ISLAND THURSDAY NIGHT
April 01, 2010
BULLDOGS SNAP FIVE-GAME SKID WITH 17-7 WIN OVER LONG ISLAND THURSDAY NIGHT
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Record days for sophomore Lauren Sheridan (Bethpage, N.Y.) and junior Meg Atha (Valley Cottage, N.Y.) highlighted the Bryant University women’s lacrosse team’s 17-7 victory over Northeast Conference rival Long Island University Thursday night, as the Bulldogs snapped a five-game losing streak and moved to 2-2 in conference action with the win at the Bryant Turf Complex.
Bryant (2-8, 2-2 NEC) took a 2-1 lead just over two minutes into Thursday night’s contest and never looked back, ripping off as many as five-consecutive goals and seeing scores from eight different sources. Atha and Sheridan would each record a quartet of goals to lead the game for the Bulldogs – a new career mark for Atha – while Sheridan would chip in a pair of assists for a career-high six points in the affair. Annie Kalata paced the Blackbirds (1-10, 0-5) with a pair of tallies.
After allowing Kalata the game’s first goal just 1:12 in, the Bulldogs responded with a trio of scores in a 1:15 span, started by the only tally of the game from junior Christine Sutherland (Brewster, N.Y.).
LIU’s Sara LaNoir got one back with an unassisted goal at the 23:14 mark, but Sheridan quickly nullified her efforts with a free position tally two minutes later to keep a two-goal cushion for the Black and Gold, 4-2.
Blackbird goals from Caitlin Farrell with 14:42 to play in the first frame and Jenna Schauder with 3:22 to go bookended four more Bulldog tallies – including the first goal of the season for junior midfielder Kaitlyn McCabe (Bourne, Mass.) and back-to-back assists from rookie Madeleine Pickett (Stratham, N.H.). Bryant would take an 8-4 advantage into the halftime break.
The Bulldogs quickly jumpstarted the second half with a flurry of goals to drive the score to 13-4 in favor of the home team, all five coming in the first 10 minutes of the frame.
Atha got the second-session scoring started 40 seconds after the opening whistle with an unassisted tally just minutes before senior Alli Faiola (Billerica, Mass.) notched back-to-back scores in a 22-second stretch to up the score to 11-4. Atha chipped in her fourth and final goal of the evening at the 22:10 mark, and senior Eliza DeMarseilles (Branford, Conn.) rounded out the scoring drive with 20:44 still to play, connecting with Sheridan for a 13-4 advantage.
Kalata answered the Bulldog flurry just 12 seconds after DeMarseilles’s score, but the Blackbirds would get just two more as Bryant outscored LIU, 4-2, in the final 17 minutes for the 17-7 final.
Faiola would end the game with three goals and a helper, while DeMarseilles added a pair of assists for a three-point day. Sophomore Kayla Manzi (Agawam, Mass.) recorded a pair of goals and junior Kaitlinh Ho (Danbury, Conn.) scored her first collegiate tally with 1:39 to play off an Emily Bogan (Swansea, Mass.) dish.
Sophomore goalie Lauren Filippone (West Babylon, N.Y.) had one of the year’s best performances between the pipes for the Black and Gold, recording 14 saves in 21 shots on goal as the Bulldogs outshot their opponent, 42-26. Bryant picked up 21 ground balls in the first half to win the ground ball battle, 30-24, and Filippone scooped up a game-best six.
The Blackbirds edged the home side on draw controls, 14-12, but struggled on clears, going 14-for-21. Bryant was 23-of-27 on clear attempts, limiting its turnovers to just 14 in the game. Sophomore Mackenzie Baker (Bayport, N.Y.) recorded three caused turnovers to pace the team’s 10 on the contest.
The Bulldogs return to action in just two days, hosting another league foe in Wagner College on Saturday, April 3 at 1 p.m. in Bulldog Stadium.