BULLDOGS STUMBLE ON THE ROAD AGAINST FAIRFIELD, FALL, 2-0, WEDNESDAY NIGHT

September 16, 2009

BULLDOGS STUMBLE AGAINST FAIRFIELD, FALL, 2-0, ON ROAD WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Boxscore

SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- The Bryant University field hockey team was shutout for just the second time this season and first since the 2009 opener Wednesday night, as the Bulldogs fell to Fairfield University, 2-0, on the road.

The Bulldogs (1-5) were outshot by the Stags (3-3), 12-7 on the night, with Bryant putting just three of those shots on goal. Two of the on-target shots came from sophomore Courtney Landi (Kingston, N.Y.).

The Bulldogs held strong through the first frame, carrying the 0-0 tie into the halftime break. But Fairfield wouldn't stay quiet long after play resumed, going up, 1-0, less than four minutes into the second half off a Marit Westenberg shot that got past Bryant goalkeeper Kundayi Mawema (Harare, Zimbabwe) and caught the far corner of the net.

The home side would double its lead halfway through the second period, when Carly McCullough made good on a penalty stroke after her teammate and scorer of the game's first goal, Westenberg, was pulled down on a breakaway.

The 2-0 lead would stick, evening the Stags record and sending the Bulldogs home with their third-straight loss.

Fairfield outshot the Bulldogs, 8-4, in the second half for a 12-7 margin on the afternoon. Mawema collected a game-best seven saves while her Stag counterpart, Caitlin O'Donnell, gathered three.

The Bulldogs now enter into a 10-day break before returning to action next Saturday, Sept. 26 when they host Colgate at the Bryant Turf Complex (7 p.m.).