Bulldogs fall to Holy Cross in 2013 debut

BULLDOGS FALL IN SEASON DEBUT, 8-7, TO HOLY CROSS

SMITHFIELD, R.I —Despite holding a one-goal edge at the halftime break, the Bryant University women's lacrosse team was slow to start the second half, allowing Holy Cross to jump out in front early and hold on through the final whistle for an 8-7 victory in the 2013 season opener.

Junior Kimberley Sniffen (Redding, Conn.) scored the opening two goals to lead all Bryant (0-1) scorers, while Holy Cross (1-0) was paced by Sara Hennessey, who  found the back of the net four times in the season debut for both teams.

Sniffen's consecutive tallies were free positions goals that both came in the opening six minutes just 1:15 apart to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 advantage, and rookie Morgan LaBarbera (New Fairfield, Conn.) followed it up with her first collegiate goal 10 minutes later to extend the hosts' lead to three.

The Crusaders would respond with back-to-back scores from Hennessey and Laura Ryan, but couldn't pull even after a Katherine Keckeisen (Danbury, Conn.) tally doubled up Holy Cross, 4-2, with 6:14 remaining in the opening 30 minutes.

But Holy Cross would even the score before the break, when consecutive goals from Hennessey with three minutes to play and 52 seconds remaining knotted the score at 4-4. With just seven ticks left on the clock, however, a foul on Lisa Vendel (Sandy Hook, Conn.) gave the Black and Gold the chance to regain an advantage heading into halftime, an opportunity the junior midfielder capitalized on, netting her first of the year off a free position shot to send the Bulldogs into the intermission leading, 5-4.

But out of the break, the momentum completely jumped to the Holy Cross side, as the Crusaders came out hungry. Despite the teams playing a scoreless opening 14 minutes, the visitors would get on the board first in the frame — a Margie Smith unassisted tally — and jump back on the scoreboard three more times from three different scorers to take an 8-5 advantage before the Bulldogs were able to stop the bleeding.

A Shannon Burns (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) unaided score cut into the Crusaders' lead, 8-6, with 7:20 left in the game, and while rookie Lauren Descalzo (Hauppauge, N.Y.) earned her first collegiate tally as the clock ticked under five to go, Bryant would ultimately run out of time.

Junior netminder Brianna Watt (Babylon, N.Y.) made 14 saves in just her second-career start, posting 11 in the second half against an 18-shot onslaught from the Crusader offense. Her Holy Cross counterpart, Sarah Weber, made eight stops to get the win.

The visitors won the ground ball battle, 21-16, and outshot the Bulldogs, 30-18, on the night. Keckeisen and LaBarbera each won a pair of draw controls as the home side edged out Holy Cross in the category, 9-8. Keckeisen also paced Bryant with two caused turnovers.

The Bulldogs will remain at home for their next contest, welcoming Siena to the Bryant Turf Complex Tuesday, Feb. 19 for a 3:00 p.m. matchup.