Lax gets second straight with 9-8 road win

Bulldogs now 2-1 in Northeast Conference as freshmen trio leads the way

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Riding the momentum from last Sunday's win over Monmouth at home, the Bryant University women's lacrosse team looked to stay red-hot heading into Friday's tilt at Saint Francis (PA), and the Bulldogs did just that, getting another strong outing from their trio of freshmen standouts to come away with a dramatic 9-8 road win over the Red Flash in Northeast Conference action.

Bryant (3-7, 2-1 NEC) newcomers Katherine Keckeisen (Danbury, Conn.), Haley Bloom (Huappauge, N.Y.) and Lisa Vendel (Sandy Hook, Conn.) accounted for six of Bryant's nine goals on the afternoon, with Vendel's tally in the final minutes proving to be the game winner for the Bulldogs.

After SFU's Sheri Fort tied the game at 8-8 with 4:51 remaining, the Red Flash would win the ensuing draw control, but the Bryant defense would make a big stand. Instead of coming up with the go-ahead goal, Saint Francis would turn the ball over with goalie Lauren Filippone (West Babylon, N.Y.) coming up with a huge forced turnover in the Bryant defensive end. 

Less than a minute later, after a successful clear, Vendel put away what would eventually prove to be the game winner by beating Red Flash keeper Daniel Pokusa. For Vendel, it would be her second marker of the game and 12th of the season.

Keckeisen and Bloom each found the back of the net twice in the contest. For Bloom, it was her 13th and 14th scores on the season while the two tallies gives Keckeisen a team-leading 16 for the year.

Filippone, the reigning NEC Defensive Player of the Week, was strong again in net as the junior finished with 13 saves on the day.

The Bulldogs will stay in western Pennsylvania for one more game and try to earn their first winning streak of the season when they visit league foe Robert Morris Sunday at 12 p.m.