Bryant wins third straight with 10-6 topping of Holy Cross

BULLDOGS EARN FIRST WINNING STREAK OF SEASON WITH 10-6 DECISION OVER CRUSADERS

SMITHFIELD, R.I. — Using its most balanced offensive effort yet, the Bryant University men's lacrosse team earned its first winning streak of the season Tuesday night, topping regional foe Holy Cross, 10-6, for the team's third-straight win at the Bryant Turf Complex.

The Bulldogs (4-8) saw their 10 goals come from eight different sources, with juniors Dan Sipperly (Greenwich, N.Y.) and Alex Zomerfeld (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) each getting on the board twice while reigning Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Week Gunnar Waldt (Freeland, Md.) made nine saves to hold the Crusaders (6-6) to just six tallies, giving the Black and Gold their fourth win in the last five tries.

For Holy Cross, James Kennedy would score a second-half hat trick, while Terry McKenna (2 goals) and John Hannan rounded out the scoring. Rookie netminder Michael Ortlieb made 11 saves, but it wasn't enough to keep the Bulldogs from leading most of the way.

"Getting 10 goals and having it spread out so evenly was great to see," said head coach Mike Pressler. "But this was a tough out for us. I knew going into it that this was going to be another midweek battle, and we are very, very pleased and fortunate to have come out on top today."

Despite falling behind early, 2-1, the Bulldogs evened the score with a Sipperly tally to open the second quarter and took a 3-2 edge three minutes later off the first goal of the season from senior middie Kyle Crowley (Scituate, Mass.).

Zomerfeld made it three straight for the hosts with his first score of the night 49 seconds before the halftime break to give Bryant a 4-2 lead at the intermission and keep the Crusaders off the scoreboard for the entire second stanza.

In the third, Holy Cross would cut the Bulldogs' lead to just one in the opening minute, 4-3, but Bryant responded with back-to-back scores from redshirt-frosh Shane Morrell (Glen Mills, Pa.) and Zomerfeld to double up the visitors, 6-3, with four minutes left in the period.

Hannan would trim the deficit to two for the Crusaders before the end of the third quarter, but senior longstick midfielder Mason Poli (Downingtown, Pa.) put a stop to any momentum Holy Cross was trying to build when he buried a shot right down the middle off a feed from Colin Dunster (Cos Cob, Conn.) 42 ticks into the fourth.

"That really got us going early in the fourth quarter," said Pressler. "When Mason scores, it's always very emotional for our team, and to see that happen for him and for him to get going again in transition was very important for us."

It was the first score in a three-goal stretch for the Black and Gold, who saw goals from Brian Schlansker (Glenville, N.Y.) and Dunster give the home team a 9-4 advantage with just under 11 minutes left on the clock.

Kennedy would score twice more for the Crusaders on either side of a Peter McMahon (Wilton, Conn.) tally late in the fourth, but the visitors would ultimately fall on the short end of the 10-6 final.

"We had to get this one," said Pressler. "Three of our last four are NEC games and the fourth is against Brown, our rival. So for us, it was a must for us to come back from a great Robert Morris win and win again in a very short week."

The Bulldogs outshot the Crusaders, 38-32, and picked up 41 ground balls to Holy Cross's 27. Sophomore faceoff specialist Kevin Massa (Huntington, N.Y.) led the way with a game-high nine, followed by eight from Zomerfeld, as the former went 15-of-20 at the X. The visitors got strong defensive outings from Kyle Kadlick (6 ground balls, 5 caused turnovers) and Tanner Powers (3 GB, 4 CT), and would finish the contest with 13 forced giveaways.

The Bulldogs will now take their winning streak on the road and back into league play this weekend, traveling to Staten Island, N.Y., to take on NEC foe Wagner Saturday at 1 p.m.