Brown headlines eight Bulldog scorers as Bryant tops Holy Cross, 14-3, in home opener

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Junior Catlin Brown (San Diego, Calif.) paced eight different scorers, registering a career-high six points and four goals Saturday afternoon, as the Bryant University women's lacrosse team posted a dominant performance in its 2017 home opener with a 14-3 victory over Holy Cross.

Brown led all scorers with a quartet of tallies, while sophomores Jasmine Perkins (West Babylon, N.Y.), Jess DeMeo (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) and Emma Ahlrichs (Zionsville, Ind.) each found the back of the net twice for the Bulldogs (1-1). Rookie Leah Nocera (Westwood, Mass.) registered three points off a goal and two assists, while classmates Maggie Pressler (Smithfield, R.I.) and Caitlin Breglia (Long Beach, N.Y.) also got on the scoreboard. Senior Emily Columbus (East Northport, N.Y.) also joined the list of Black and Gold scorers with a second-half tally.

Holy Cross (1-1) saw all three goals from bench players, getting one in the first half from Emma Gill and the second two after the break from Maggie Funk and Audrey Mandaro.

Perkins got the scoring going in the fourth minute with her first score of the year. But after Gill responded a minute later, the Bulldogs would go on a four-goal Bryant run that went unanswered before the halftime break.

Brown and Nocera dotted the first-half scoring, as both contributed a goal and two assists in the opening frame, with Nocera's tally retaking the lead, 2-1, and Brown connecting on a sharp-angle wraparound shot for a 4-1 lead with 12:40 to go. Pressler would cap off the scoring in the frame off a pass from Nocera with 3:07 to play to send the Black and Gold to the locker room with a 5-1 edge.

Bryant would stretch that scoring run to nine uninterrupted goals through the first 11 minutes of the second half, with DeMeo notching her second goal of the day just 48 seconds into the stanza in unassisted fashion.

Brown (unassisted), Ahlrichs (unassisted), Columbus (from DeMeo) and Brown (free position goal) would follow suit to move the score to 10-1 with 19:36 remaining.

The Crusaders would finally put a stop to the Bulldog streak midway through the second, as Funk made good on a free position opportunity to get past Bryant goalie Samantha Santeramo (Wantagh, N.Y.). The junior netminder would let in one more four minutes later, this one from Mandaro, but it was the last time Holy Cross would get on the board, as the Bulldogs scored the final four of the afternoon for the 14-3 final.

On the day, Bryant outshot Holy Cross, 29-17, and won the battles for ground balls, 16-14, and draws, 10-9. Senior Molly Martin (Island Park, N.Y.) was spectacular on defense for the Black and Gold, leading the game with five ground balls and tying her career best with four caused turnovers. Ten different Bulldogs each picked up one draw control in the outing.

Santeramo made eight saves for the hosts to record the victory, adding two ground balls and making a number of key stops down the stretch. Julie Maloney made five stops for the visitors and led the team with three ground balls and two caused turnovers.

The Bulldogs remain at home for their next matchup, hosting the University of Vermont at the Bryant Track & Turf Complex Saturday, March 4 at 1 p.m.