James, Kennedy, Sharpe lead Bulldogs to victory in 18-13 shootout

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Behind season-high efforts from offensive weapons Tucker James (Essex Fells, N.J.), Tom Kennedy (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and Ryan Sharpe (Poway, Calif.), the Bryant University men's lacrosse team never trailed against Siena, topping the Saints, 18-13, at the Conaty Indoor Athletic Center Monday afternoon.

James posted a season-high 10 points off five goals and five assists on the contest while Sharpe added four scores of his own to tie his career mark. Kennedy finished the day with a career-high five points off a hat trick and a pair of helpers, while five other Bulldogs (4-4) got on the board, including the first-career tally from sophomore Luke Finneran (Greenwich, Conn.).

"I am very, very pleased to get back on track offensively," said Bryant head coach Mike Pressler. "That 7-1 first quarter was exactly what the doctor ordered to get our confidence back. I thought our big boys really came to play today – Tucker James, Tom Kennedy, Ryan Sharpe, Tom Forsberg – those guys led the way and got us going at that end."

Siena (0-7) dominated the third    quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs, 8-3, in the frame, and saw hat tricks from Jordan Barlow and Chris Robertson, who led the side with four points.

Junior Kenny Massa (Huntington, N.Y.) was dominant at the faceoff X, going 25-of-34 (.735) against a trio of Saints challengers, picking up a career-high 16 ground balls along the way. Bryant owned the ground ball game, 40-22.

"This makes three games in a row for Kenny," said Pressler. "He was dominate today. He's really in his groove, and as we enter NEC play, Kenny couldn't be having a better stretch of games than he's having right now."

The Bulldogs opened the game on an 8-1 run that ran 2:15 into the second quarter after a 7-1 opening frame that saw James record a hat trick and Sharpe pick up back-to-back scores to open the contest. Two quick Siena goals would lead to a five-minute scoring lull before senior Brett Baker (Ridgefield, Conn.), Sharpe and James would combine for three goals in 61 seconds to put the Black and Gold out in front, 11-3.

Eric Munn would find the back of the net with 38 ticks to play in the second to send the teams into halftime with an 11-4 margin favoring the hosts.

But the Saints owned momentum and gameplay through the entirety of the third quarter, outshooting the Bulldogs, 17-5, while forcing a quintet of Bryant turnovers. Siena would score four straight in a four-minute stretch in the middle of the frame, closing the gap to just 13-10 before a Kennedy laser from far outside found netting with 3:31 to go.

And while that score would stand as the eventual game winner, Siena kept pushing, scoring twice more – including a dagger from Barlow with five seconds left – to cut the deficit to just two goals, 14-12, entering the final 15 minutes.

"We were so disappointed with our play in the third quarter," said Pressler. "In every game Siena has played, they've made it a game in the second half, and they did it again today. Thankfully, we had the wherewithal to finish it off in the end."

In the fourth, the Bulldogs regrouped and resettled, scoring the first four tallies of the final stanza to push their lead back up to six, 18-12. Chris Robertson tacked on one last score with 35 ticks to go for the final margin.

There were 11 penalties in the game, and the Bulldogs capitalized on their share of them, going 5-for-6 on extra-man opportunities. Siena went 2-for-5 in the category. Siena edged Bryant with 38 shots to the hosts' 34, thanks in large part to its third-quarter effort.

Both teams tried out a pair of options inside the crease, with each side's starter getting the decision. Junior James Werner (New Rochelle, N.Y.) made five saves before giving way to sophomore Kevin Beimfohr (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) (4 saves) midway through the third quarter. Siena starter Gage Ponsetti didn't record a save in one period of work, while Aaron Lewis made five stops in the final 45 minutes.

With one last non-conference bout scheduled for late April, the Bulldogs now jump into their Northeast Conference slate, starting with a 12 p.m. road matchup with Mount St. Mary's on Saturday.

"You're non-conference schedule and record is very important, but there's nothing more important than conference play," said Pressler. "What matters is what you're doing in the games that mean the most, and these six in a row mean the most for us."