Descalzo nets seven to lead Bulldogs to 14-9 win over Fresno State

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Junior attack Lauren Descalzo (Hauppauge, N.Y.) scored a career-high seven goals for the second time this season as the Bryant University women's lacrosse team kicked off its Spring Break trip with a 14-9 win over Fresno State Wednesday.

Rookie Kendall McCartney (North Kingstown, R.I.) and sophomore Shannon Sullivan (Farmingdale, N.Y.) scored the first goals of their collegiate careers while junior Morgan LaBarbera (New Fairfield, Conn.) added four points (2 goals, 2 assists) in the victory. Senior Skylar Zlotnick (Essex Fells, N.J.) also scored a pair, while eight different Bulldogs (4-2) registered points in the road win.

Fresno State (2-5) saw hat tricks from Caroline Dineen-Carlson and Nicole Ortlieb and single scores from three others.

Descalzo got the scoring started just 14 seconds into the contest, and after a pair of Fresno State responses, the Bulldogs rattled off three-straight scores from Descalzo, Sullivan and Zlotnick to take over the lead and never look back.

The hosts would close their deficit to a single tally three times in the opening half, but Descalzo answered for the Black and Gold each time en route to a 7-5 halftime advantage capped off by the junior's fifth goal of the frame with just 25 seconds remaining.

LaBarbera made it 8-5 less than a minute into the second, and after an Ortlieb tally, Bryant ripped off another run – this time four-straight scores – to double up its opponent, 12-6, with 16:33 still to play in the contest.

McCartney kicked off the stretch with a free position goal for her first-career score, and Descalzo would net her sixth minutes later off a pass from LaBarbera, a tally that would prove to be the game winner. LaBarbera would get back on the board herself 56 ticks later with an unassisted goal, and Zlotnick – assisted by rookie Christine Kelly (Farmingdale, N.Y.) – saw her second of the day give the Bulldogs the six-goal cushion.

Ortlieb would put a halt to the stretch with 12:38 remaining with a goal off an Anjelica Fuccillo feed, and the home side scored three of the final five goals of the tilt, but it wouldn't be enough. The Black and Gold would get one final score from Descalzo with 21 seconds to play in the 14-9 final.

Bryant outshot Fresno State, 28-17, on the day, also dominating on the draw, 17-8, behind an eight-win effort from senior Shannon Burns (Mount Sinai, N.Y.). Sophomore Carly Cronin (Feeding Hills, Mass.) paced the game with four ground balls, while Bryant's duo of goalies – starter Samantha Santeramo (Wantagh, N.Y.) (1 save) and fellow freshman Daja Andrews (Lumberton, N.J.) (3) – combined for four stops in the game. Meganne Weissenfels took the loss for Fresno State, making five saves and allowing 11 goals in 39:14. Natalie Chaffin turned away four shots in the final 20:46 of the contest.

The Bulldogs remain in California for their next outing and will play UC Davis Saturday, March 14 (4:00 p.m. Pacific).