Bulldogs shock Red Flash in dramatic fashion Friday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – In absolute dramatic fashion, the Bryant University women's soccer team picked up its first Northeast Conference victory of the season knocking off Saint Francis U., 1-0, Friday afternoon at Bulldog Soccer Field.

With less than 20 seconds left in regulation, junior forward Scout Benson (Lynnfield, Mass.) made a run toward the goal, firing a shot that was blocked by a Red Flash defender, earning a corner for the Bulldogs (3-10, 1-1 Northeast Conference). With time ticking down and overtime seemingly eminent, junior Sarah Schucker (Nanuet, N.Y.) placed a near-perfect corner kick to the back post, setting up senior Katy Biagi (Natick, Mass.) inside the box for the game-winning header with three seconds left on the clock.

"Racing with 14 second to get Sarah [Schucker] down to the corner and we just tried to throw everything at them," said Bryant head coach Chris Flint. "We had been practicing trying to get the ball to the back post on corners and Sarah put it exactly where we wanted it and Katy [Biagi] was right there for the finish."

An even battle throughout its entirety, the two teams each had multiple chances at different points during the match with the Bulldogs outshooting the Red Flash, 18-15, and earing seven more corners, 9-2.

"I'm just so happy for the team because of all the heartache we've faced already this season," added Flint. "It's been a long season with a lot of frustrating moments, making today's win that much sweeter."

The Bryant defensive unit, led by sophomore goalkeeper Kaylan Conrad (Avon, Conn.), seniors Michelle Durand (Sudbury, Mass.) and Evelyn Hurwitz (Newton, Mass.), and junior Allison DeBenedictis (Norwell, Mass.) kept an aggressive Saint Francis attack at bay, thwarting all their promising scoring chances.

"I think we did a very good job today overall," noted Flint. "They had a couple of opportunities that our defenders worked really hard to break up potentially dangerous attacks, elevating a lot of the pressure on Kaylan [Conrad]. It was great to see all our defenders put in a great effort for 90 minutes and be rewarded."

Looking ahead, the Bulldogs will hit the road with a trip to Staten Island, N.Y., for a showdown with Wagner on Sunday at 1 p.m.

"Wagner is not an easy place to play," closed Flint. "Today's win is certainly a momentum builder and I think we'll going into Sunday with a lot of confidence and just need to build off this result and make sure the focus is there."

For links to live stats and streaming video of Sunday's match and all the latest news on the Bryant University women's soccer team, visit BryantBulldogs.com.