Bulldogs edged by Navy, 8-7

Bryant Women's Lacrosse Falls to Navy 8-7 Saturday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Despite a three-goal lead early in the second half and a hat trick from senior attacker Lauren Sheridan (Bethpage, N.Y.), the Bryant University women's lacrosse team couldn't hold off an unrelenting Navy side, falling by an 8-7 margin Saturday afternoon at the Bryant Turf Complex.

The Bulldogs (0-3) overcame a two-goal deficit with five-straight tallies over a 10:40 span, taking the clock below the five-minute mark in the opening frame for a 5-2 Bryant edge. The run was sparked by back-to-back Sheridan scores three minutes apart, knotting the scoreboard at 2-2 with just under 12 minutes left to play.

Freshman Shannon Burns (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) gave the hosts their first lead of the contest with 10 to play, scoring her first collegiate goal, a free position tally, for a 3-2 margin over the visiting Midshipmen (5-1). Reigning Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year Haley Bloom (Hauppauge, N.Y.) followed up with consecutive scores at 5:39 and 4:15, capping off the rally. Four of the Bulldogs' five goals came unassisted, save Bloom's second tally, which came off a quick pass from classmate Katherine Keckeisen (Danbury, Conn.).

But the Mids would get one more chance before the end of the first stanza and would capitalize on that opportunity, as leading scorer Kathy Young drove an unaided score past Bryant goalie Lauren Filippone (West Babylon, N.Y.) with just 24 ticks remaining before halftime for a 5-3 Bryant margin at the break.

Filippone was spectacular in the frame, recording 11 saves as the home side was outshot, 15-13, and her teammates helped her out to open the final 30 minutes by scoring first after the intermission. Senior Mary Green (Merrick, N.Y.) got her first tally of the 2012 season just 3:23 into the second half on Bryant's fourth free position goal of the contest, spotting the hosts a three-goal, 6-3, advantage over Navy.

But the Mids found their spark just minutes later again from Young, who notched back-to-back unassisted scores to cut the Bulldogs' lead to just one with just under 20 minutes left in regulation. Young's goals were the first of three uninterrupted scores, as Jill Coughlin knotted the contest for the first time since a 2-2 score on a free position goal with 13:48 showing on the clock.

Sheridan completed her hat trick with 9:40 to go to renew Bryant's advantage, but Loren Generi found the net 90 seconds later for a 7-7 tie before Jasmine DePompeo's unassisted goal with just under seven minutes to play gave Navy its first advantage since the game's opening minutes, 8-7.

Navy would hold off the Bulldogs for the remainder of the time, employing a successful stall in the offensive end over the final 2:30 to run out the clock. Filippone would finish the game with 16 assists on 28 shots faced, while her counterparts, Elaine Ponchione and Michelle Verbeeck, combined for six stops in the outing. Verbeeck would get the win in 40 minutes of action, moving to 2-0 on the season.

Navy owned the draw control game, winning 13 to Bryant's four and were paced by five from Young. The Mids doubled up their hosts on the ground with 20 ground balls to the Bulldogs' 10, but it was Filippone who led the game with five.

The Bulldogs return to action Wednesday, March 7 on the road against Yale at 4 p.m.