Bulldogs outlast Seahawks on the road, 7-4, Sunday afternoon

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University women's lacrosse team led, 4-3, midway through the second half, but utilized a 3-0 run and great team defense late to ward off Wagner College, 7-4, in Sunday afternoon's Northeast Conference tilt in Staten Island.

The Bulldogs (8-3, 2-0 NEC) were paced by junior defender Shannon Sullivan (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and senior attack Nicole Britton (Monmouth Beach, N.J.) with three points each on three goals and three assists, respectively. Freshman mid Jess DeMeo (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) continued her hot streak with two scores and sophomore attack Catlin Brown (San Diego, Calif.) registered two goals as well. Sophomore netminder Samantha Santeramo (Wantagh, N.Y.) was brilliant in the win, making 12 saves in a full 60 minutes of action to improve her record to 7-1 on the year.

Four different Seahawks (3-8, 1-1) tallied unassisted goals. Seniors Shea Gegan, Kimmy Tumolo and Stephanie Peterson along with junior Olivia Streilein were the only goal scorers. Senior goal keeper Katie Ferraro made 10 saves in the loss.

The Bulldogs opened up the game with three-straight scores less than seven minutes into the first half, as Sullivan and DeMeo scored within the initial three minutes. Brown's score at the 23:42 mark made it 3-0. But Peterson and Gegan answered with a pair of Wagner scores, and though DeMeo gave Bryant its fourth score with 14:26 left, Streilein netted a free-position shot with 6:58 on the clock to cap off a 3-1 visitor run to close the half.

Bryant fired 12 shots in the first half, forcing Ferraro to make seven stops. The second half featured 13 Wagner attempts on goal, resulting in the eight saves from Santeramo. The defensive battle continued to play out after the final 6:58 of the opening stanza was scoreless. Neither side could cage a shot until the 16:58 mark of the final frame, courtesy of a Brown free-position goal, making it 5-3.

Eleven full minutes were shaved off the clock before the next score was tallied on Sullivan's second on the day, set up by a Britton dish. The duo connected once again the exact same way at the 2:55 mark to make it 7-3. Tumolo drew the hosts closer with an unassisted score at the 2:13 mark, but it was all Santeramo and the Bulldog defense would let up in the second half.

The game could have easily been more one-sided than the final margin, as Wagner committed 30 fouls and allowed eight Bryant free-position attempts (1-for-8). The win marks the Bulldog's sixth-straight and improves their record to 7-0 on the road.

For better or worse, the road warriors of Bryant will return home for a pair of games this coming weekend, first taking on Saint Francis U on Friday at 4:00 p.m.