Bulldog offense falls short vs. Statesmen

Bryant lacrosse struggles to score at Hobart, drops 5-4 decision Saturday afternoon in Geneva, N.Y.

GENEVA, N.Y. – The Bryant University men's lacrosse team led, 3-2, after the opening period but scored just once more in the final 45 minutes to fall to Hobart on the road, 5-4, Saturday afternoon.

The Statesmen (2-4) scored two unanswered goals for the win, tying the game with a man-up goal from Sam Miller with 4:33 to play in the third and overtaking the visiting Bulldogs (2-4) with just over five minutes to play in the game thanks to a Mike White tally from the left side.

But Bryant started out the contest having its own way on offense, taking a 2-0 advantage midway through the first quarter. Junior Max Weisenberg (Long Beach, N.Y.) put the Bulldogs on the board at the 8:12 mark, hammering home an unassisted tally. Sophomore JK Poirier (Coatesville, Pa.) netted his second score of the season just over two minutes later off a feed from rookie Alex Zomerfeld (Port Jefferson, N.Y.), his first of the year.

Hobart's Matt Campbell responded to cut the home team's deficit in half, but freshman Dan Sipperly (Greenwich, N.Y.) regained the two-point edge for Bryant with 2:03 to go in the frame.

But the Statesmen would have the last word in the frame, moving the score to 3-2 with an unassisted goal from Tyler Simmons with just six ticks on the clock.

After a high-scoring first, though, defense would take over on both sides, and Alex Love recorded the only score of the second quarter, sending the teams into the halftime break with a 3-3 knot.

Peter McMahon (Wilton, Conn.) gave the Bulldogs back the one-goal edge 80 seconds out of the intermission off a pass from Weisenberg, but it would be the final tally for the visiting Black and Gold on the day, as Miller's man-up goal and White's game winner gave the home side its only lead of the contest when it counted most.

The Bulldogs took four penalties in the contest and were outshot, 30-23, on the day. Junior captain Jameson Love (Darien, Conn.) made eight saves between the pipes for Bryant, while Evan Kirk turned away nine for the win.

Sophomore Mason Poli's (Downingtown, Pa.) game-best six ground balls and five caused turnovers paced the Bulldogs to a 26-24 win in the ground ball game, and Statesman Adam Dattilo narrowly edged out faceoff man Trever Sipperly (Greenwich, N.Y.) at the X, winning 7-of-13 faceoffs in the affair.

Bryant had its most difficult time of the season in terms of the clearing game, completing just 17-of-26 attempts, and the Bulldogs turned the ball over a season-high 24 times, including 15 giveaways in the second half.

Bryant won't have too much time to think about the loss, though, as the Bulldogs will turnaround to host local rival Providence College looking to snap a four-game losing streak in Smithfield, R.I. Tuesday night (7 p.m.). Tuesday's game against the Friars will be broadcast on tape delay by Cox Sports in Rhode Island and Eastern Connecticut on Thursday, March 24 and Saturday, March 26 at 7 p.m.