Bulldogs open conference play with 6-0 win over Blackbirds

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – In the first conference game of the season and the first true home game, the Bryant University field hockey team saw a number of firsts, including first-career goals by Haley Wood (Brownsville, Vt.) and Grace Farrell (Milford, Pa.) and first goals of the year by Emily Perryman (Lebanon, N.H.), Victoria Newbill (Wilton, Maine) and Elena Borovskis (Pequannock, N.J.), which combined lead to the all-important first win of the season, 6-0, over LIU Brooklyn, Friday night in Smithfield.

Newbill kicked the Bulldogs' (1-10, 1-0 MAAC) scoring spree off with a goal in the 10th minute. The sophomore took a shot initially that was saved by the Blackbird's (0-9, 0-1 MAAC) keeper Molly Jannell, but the forward stuck with the play, following the rebound with a shot into the boards.

Perryman followed suit with her first goal of the season in similar fashion, finishing junior Keighan Richardson's (North Attleboro, Mass.) shot that deflected off Jannell into a Bryant goal in the 29th minute, allowing the Bulldogs to maintain the 2-0 advantage at intermission.

Finding her sixth-career goal, Borovskis settled a rebound in front of the cage and fired it past the mess of bodies in the circle for Bryant's 3-0 edge in the 44th minute. Just about 10 minutes later, Farrell scored unassisted as she settled the ball at the top right of the circle before rifling off the reverse shot into the upper left corner.

Van Dommelen also found success on the reverse shot, this time from the top left of the circle, as she notched her third of the season and fifth Bulldogs' score of the game in the 63rd minute. Wood rounded out the Bryant scoring frenzy, as she recorded her first-career goal in the 67th minute. The sophomore received a beautiful pass from the streaking Emiko Barker (Hatfield, Mass.) right in front of the cage, where Wood was there to bury it home for the Black and Gold's 6-0 triumph over LIU.

Bryant dominated the Blackbirds across the board, outshooting the visitors, 33-2, including 17 shots on frame for the Bulldogs. Jannell totaled 11 saves to increase her season total to 47, while Bryant sophomore keeper Marissa Elizardo (North Wales, Pa.) made a single save in the first half. Freshman goalie Miranda Grundy (Smithfield, R.I.) made her first-career appearance for the Bulldogs, logging just over eight minutes.

The Bulldogs look to carry their momentum with them as they travel to New Jersey to face a 6-6 (0-1 MAAC) Rider team, who lost earlier today to Fairfield, 3-1. The Bulldogs, Broncs clash is set for Sunday at noon and fans can follow along with the action on bryantbulldogs.com. A behind the scenes look of the Bulldogs' trip to Rider will also be featured on the Bryant Athletics snap chat.