Stellar 2015 season concludes as No. 13 Loyola advances past Bulldogs in NCAA First Round

NEWTON, Mass. – Behind six scores and eight points from senior Kara Burke, No. 13 Loyola controlled the pace of Friday's NCAA First Round contest, topping the Northeast Conference Champion Bryant University women's lacrosse team, 21-3, at the Newton Lacrosse Complex.

The Greyhounds (16-4) now advance to Sunday's second round matchup against fifth-seeded host Boston College. The Bulldogs wrap up their 2015 season with a 14-5 overall mark, having won their second-consecutive NEC regular-season and tournament crowns.

Three goals in a 31-second span opened the scoring Friday afternoon and put the momentum solidly in Loyola's corner. The Bulldogs got on the board for the first time just under 10 minutes into the contest with a score from freshman midfielder Meaghan Brennan (Glen Head, N.Y.), who redirected the feed from junior attack Nicole Britton (Monmouth Beach, N.J.), tapping it past Loyola netminder Molly Wolf (11 saves) and into the net from the edge of the crease to cut Greyhounds' lead to 3-1.

But the Patriot League champs would score the next seven goals, including a hat trick from Burke, for a 10-1 lead entering the last 15 minutes of the first stanza.

Sophomore attack Emily Columbus (East Northport, N.Y.) stopped the streak, netting an unassisted tally with 13:09 left in the frame, but Loyola would follow it up with four unanswered goals to enter intermission with a 14-2 advantage.

Out of the break, junior attack Morgan LaBarbera (New Fairfield, Conn.) deked out Wolf to deposit a shot into the back of the net eight minutes into the second half, but the final seven goals of the contest would belong to the Greyhounds en route to the 21-3 final margin.

Loyola outshot the Black and Gold, 38-16, and dominated on the draw, 22-3, behind 12 wins from Taryn VanThof (1 goal, 2 assists) and five more from Katrina Geiger (2 goals). The Greyhounds edged Bryant in the ground ball game, 16-14, with senior midfielder Shannon Burns (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) picking up four to lead the side.

Rookie netminder Samantha Santeramo (Wantagh, N.Y.) made 11 stops between the pipes to finish the year 10-3 overall.