Hot start pushes Bryant to fifth-consecutive win

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Led by a pair of four-goal outings from junior Jess DeMeo (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) and sophomore Caitlin Breglia (Long Beach, N.Y.) and a standout game from senior Samantha Santeramo (Wantagh, N.Y.), the Bryant University women's lacrosse team improved to 4-0 in Northeast Conference play with a 15-9 victory over Robert Morris on Friday night at the Bryant Track and Turf Complex.

GAME INFORMATION

Bryant 15, Robert Morris 9

Records: Bryant (9-4, 4-0 NEC), Robert Morris (6-8, 2-2 NEC)

Location: Bryant Track and Turf Complex – Smithfield, R.I.

KEY MOMENT

Once Robert Morris' Kerri Sayrafe scored to make it 2-1 Bulldogs, Bryant's defense stifled the Colonials attack, holding them scoreless for the next 25:52, allowing the Bulldogs to go on a 8-0 streak to break the game open.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Redshirt-sophomore Melissa Wamp (Florham Park, N.J.) and DeMeo got Bryant's offense going early, scoring nearly six minutes apart to give Bryant a 2-0 lead.
• DeMeo and Wamp combined for three of Bryant's final five goals of the half, with senior Catlin Brown (San Diego, Calif.) and Breglia chipping in tallies to end the period strong.
• DeMeo and Breglia scored 32 seconds apart early in the second half, then Wamp added her third at the 18:06 mark to put Bryant up nine, its largest lead of the game.
• The Colonials would rally, scoring four of the game's next five goals with Melanie Gandy and Mackenzie Gandy combining for three of them. Sophia Eureka added the fourth in that stretch to cut Bryant's lead to six.
• Breglia answered strong, scoring twice in 77 seconds and junior Meredith James (Essex Fells, N.J.) would add a third in the run to keep Bryant in control.
• Shannon Lynch scored three of Robert Morris' last four, with Meghan Crouse joining in the late charge but it was too little, too late as the Bulldogs would hold on in the end.

STATS

• The shots were relatively even, with the Bulldogs outshooting Robert Morris 35-32.
• Bryant only turned the ball over 11 times to the Colonials' 18.
• The Bulldogs were an efficient 21 for 23 on the clear, while Robert Morris was 14 for 17.
• Led by seven from senior Amanda Moss (Lebanon, N.J.), Bryant controlled the ground ball game 21-16.
• Wamp contributed three goals for her third hat trick of the season.
• James, Brown, sophomore Maggie Pressler (Smithfield, R.I.) and junior Lauren Britton (Monmouth Beach, N.J.) rounded out the scoring for Bryant.
• Along with Moss' seven, Santeramo contributed four ground balls, while Britton and senior Madison McNally (East Northport, N.Y.) grabbed three.
• McNally, Santeramo, Britton and Moss all caused two Colonial turnovers.
• Britton led Bryant with eight draw controls.

NOTES

• With four in tonight's game, DeMeo now owns the program single-season record with 21 free position goals on the year.
• She is also now ninth in Bryant program history with 162 points and sixth with 141 goals.
• Breglia reached 60 points on the season with her four-goal outing, marking the seventh time a Bryant player has done that in its Division I history.
• Moss' seven ground balls more than double her previous career high from when she scooped up three at Niagara on March 17.
• McNally's two caused turnovers tied her career high for the seventh time, last met at Canisius on March 15.
• Two caused turnovers from Santeramo also match her career-best, which she set on March 17 at Niagara.

UP NEXT

Bryant hosts Saint Francis U on its annual Senior Day on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. Fans are advised to arrive early as the Bulldogs will be honoring its 9-member senior class graduating this May, starting at 12:45 p.m.