Strong second half lifts Bryant to 14-7 win over LIU

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Senior Jess DeMeo (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) scored four goals and added an assist as the Bryant University women's lacrosse team shook off a slow start with an 11-goal second half for a 14-7 victory over LIU Brooklyn Sunday at Beirne Stadium.

Junior Caitlin Breglia (Long Beach, N.Y.) added two goals and four assists to increase her NEC-leading assist total to 26. Seniors Meredith James (Essex Fells, N.J.) and Lauren Britton (Monmouth Beach, N.J.) combined for 15 draw controls with James collecting nine and Britton grabbing six.

GAME INFORMATION
Bryant 14, LIU Brooklyn 7
Records: Bryant (6-5, 2-0 NEC), LIU Brooklyn (4-8, 1-1 NEC)
Location: Beirne Stadium (Smithfield, R.I.)

COACH ROCHE'S COMMENTS
"We got off to a slow start today, but our team showed its character by picking it up in the second half and taking control of the game. It's good to see some of the team chemistry starting to jell, but we need to play 60 minutes, which is what we'll be working on this week."

KEY MOMENT

• Trailing 6-5, Bryant scored three goals in a span of 32 seconds from Breglia, James and Britton to go ahead 8-6 with 16:49 to play. It began an 8-0 Bryant run over a 12-minute stretch.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Britton got Bryant on the board with 2:54 into the contest, but the Blackbirds responded to score the next four and hold the Bulldogs off the board for nearly 21 minutes.
• Junior Chachie Smigliani (Hanover, Mass.) ended the drought with a free-position goal and freshman Alexa Weber (South Windsor, Conn.) added a goal to bring Bryant within 4-3 at the half.
• A pair of Breglia-to-DeMeo goals put Bryant ahead 5-4 with 25:16 to go.
• LIU scored the next two to move in front 6-5 with 18:23 to play.
• Breglia scored on a free-position with 17:21 remaining, and after James won the ensuing draw, she received a pass back from Breglia and found the net 10 seconds after the preceding goal, giving the Bulldogs a lead they would not relinquish.
• The back-to-back goals, followed by Britton's 22 seconds after James', started an 8-0 Bryant run that included tallies from Breglia, sophomore Devon Bolen (Queensbury, N.Y.), sophomore Caitlin Bolen (Queensbury, N.Y.), sophomore Abbi England (Longford Mills, Ontario) and a DeMeo goal that made it 13-6 with 5:15 to play.
• LIU added its final goal with 4:44 remaining before DeMeo brought the game to its final 14-7 margin with 1:16 on the clock.

STATS

• DeMeo scored four goals to give her 37 on the year and 10 in two NEC games.
• Britton contributed two goals, three ground balls and six draw controls.
• Breglia's four assists tie a season-high.
• Weber recorded one goal, one assist, three ground balls and two caused turnovers.
• Devon Bolen added two ground balls and two caused turnovers.
• Bryant outshot LIU, 36-21.
• The Bulldogs held a 15-8 advantage in the draw circle.
• Bryant recorded an assist on eight of its 11 goals not scored via a free-position attempt.

GAME NOTES

• Bryant improves to 10-1 all-time against LIU and has won 10 straight meetings.
• Breglia's four assists moved her into a tie for fifth in program history with Haley Bloom, who collected 64 from 2011-14.
• Breglia's six points brought her to 172 for her career, good for a tie for ninth in program history with Marisa Lawrence (2003-06).
• James moved to third in program history in draw controls with 149. She will enter Friday 22 back of Nicole Britton for second on the Bulldogs' all-time list, topped by Lauren Britton.
• The seven goals allowed Sunday were a season-best.

UP NEXT
Bryant takes on Central Connecticut under the lights at Beirne Stadium Friday night. Tickets for the 7 p.m. opening draw can be purchased HERE and the game can be seen on NEC Front Row.

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