Bulldogs take NEC opener, 13-7, on road

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Juniors Kimberley Sniffen (Redding, Conn.) and Haley Bloom (Hauppauge, N.Y.) each scored four goals while classmate Lisa Vendel (Sandy Hook., Conn.) chipped in three more as the Bryant University women's lacrosse team started off Northeast Conference play on the right foot with a 13-7 victory over Robert Morris on the road in the league opener Friday.

The Bulldogs (4-3, 1-0 NEC) trailed, 1-0, early after an opening goal from Robert Morris (4-4, 0-1)  midfielder Emily Jamison, but the Black and Gold would even the score less a minute later before taking over the lead at the 22:03 mark and never looked back.

Sniffen, Bloom and Vendel gave the visitors the 3-1 advantage midway through the opening frame before Jamison notched her second of the game to close the gap to just one with 14:45 to go, but Bryant would rip off five-straight goals – two of them from Bloom – from there to extend its lead to 8-2 with less than five remaining on the first-frame clock.

Brittany Byerly got the Colonials back on the board with an unassisted goal at the 3:44 mark, but Sniffen would give herself a first-half hat trick with 1:39 left to send the Bulldogs into the break leading, 9-3.

RMU drew first blood in the second stanza, but rookie Morgan LaBarbera (New Fairfield, Conn.) and Bloom scored consecutive unaided goals less than a minute apart to give the visitors a seven-goal advantage just more than 10 minutes in.

The Colonials would score three more times in the final 15 minutes, but Vendel and Sniffen would also tack on their final goals for the 13-7 final margin.

Junior goalie Brianna Watt (Babylon, N.Y.) made eight stops to get the win for the Black and Gold, and Bryant outshot Robert Morris, 22-21, despite losing the margin for both ground balls, 16-11, and draw controls, 14-8. The Bulldogs went an impressive 6-of-7 on free position shots, including a perfect 4-for-4 mark from Sniffen, and got six caused turnovers on the day.

The Bulldogs remain in the Keystone State for their next outing, traveling to Loretto, Pa., for a Sunday matchup against Saint Francis U. (12 p.m.).