Columbus paces Bulldogs to 13-10 win over UC Davis on road Saturday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sophomore attack Emily Columbus (East Northport, N.Y.) found the back of the net a career-high six times and recorded a career-best eight points to lead the Bryant University women's lacrosse team to a 13-10 road victory over UC Davis Saturday afternoon.

Columbus's six goals came off just seven shots while junior teammate Nicole Britton (Monmouth Beach, N.J.) also picked up a new career best with four scores in the Bryant (5-2) win. Elizabeth Landry paced the contest with seven tallies for the host Aggies (1-5), who saw four goal scorers on the day.

The Bulldogs headed into the halftime break with a 6-4 advantage after starting off the contest with four-straight scores. Senior Skylar Zlotnick (Essex Fells, N.J.) got on the board first less than 90 seconds into the game, and Columbus would double that lead less than a minute later.

Only 2:28 into the opening frame, Columbus dished out her first helper of the day – this one to Britton for her first score – and junior leading scorer Lauren Descalzo (Hauppauge, N.Y.) capped off the run with a free position goal just 3:39 into the game for the 4-0 advantage.

The Aggies broke through 5:51 into the tilt with Landry's first score of the afternoon, and UC Davis cut the deficit to 4-2 four minutes later. But after a constant stream of early scoring, each side would break through just twice more in the remaining 20 minutes for the two-goal Bryant advantage at the break.

The home side took its first and only lead of the day when it opened the second half with a natural hat trick from Landry over a 3:26 span to take over a 7-6 edge six minutes in.

Columbus returned to the scoreboard two minutes later, and while Landry responded 90 seconds after, Bryant would get two more from the sophomore for a 9-8 edge with 14 minutes to play. Landry once again answered the call for the Aggies to knot the score at 9-9 with 10 to go, but Columbus would tack on two more just 40 seconds apart for the 11-9 lead with less than nine minutes remaining in regulation.

Landry would grab her final goal of the day with seven to go, but Britton would have the final word, finding space between the pipes twice in the final five minutes to solidify the 13-10 final.

UC Davis outshot the Bulldogs, 24-23, on the day, but the Black and Gold were accurate, putting 20 of those shots on target. Bryant edged out the Aggies off the draw, 14-12, led by five wins from Descalzo, but the hosts won the battle for ground balls, 20-17.

Rookie goalie Samantha Santeramo (Wantagh, N.Y.) made eight saves to get the win between the pipes, while UC Davis's Kai Murphy took the loss while turning away seven.

After going 2-0 on its Spring Break trip, the Bulldogs return to the east coast and have the next nine days off before their next outing, a Monday, March 23 matchup at nearby UMass Lowell (4:00 p.m.).