Bryant extends streak to four straight with 16-3 win over UMass Lowell Monday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sophomore attack Emily Columbus (East Northport, N.Y.) scored four goals while senior Skylar Zlotnick (Essex Fells, N.J.) added four points of her own to lead the Bryant University women's lacrosse team to its fourth-straight victory, a 16-3 topping of UMass Lowell on the road Monday.

Junior attack Morgan LaBarbera (New Fairfield, Conn.) and senior midfielder Shannon Burns (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) also picked up two goals apiece, while the former added an assist for three points to help lead the Bulldogs (6-2) to their longest winning streak of the season. Zlotnick's quartet of points came off three goals and one assist. The River Hawks (0-9) were paced by two scores from Jesse Jay with the third coming from Ally Williams off the bench.

Bryant scored early and often in the first half, getting its opening tally – the first from Columbus – only 33 seconds into the tilt. The Bulldogs would ride that early momentum to an 11-0 start with goals coming from five different scorers before the hosts would crack the scoreboard with just 60 seconds to go before the halftime break.

Columbus and Zlotnick would score all seven of their combined tallies in the opening 27 minutes, including netting the final four scores of the stretch. Rookie midfielder Meaghan Brennan (Glen Head, N.Y.) recorded her second-career goal nine minutes into the contest for a 5-0 Bulldog advantage, while Burns and LaBarbera followed with scores of their own before back-to-back tallies from Zlotnick and back-to-back scores from Columbus wrapped up the run.

Jay would finally break through for the home side with a free position score in the final minute of the opening frame, sending the Black and Gold into the intermission with an 11-1 lead.

In the second, Bryant would come out with tallies from rookie Catlin Brown (San Diego, Calif.) and a second from LaBarbera to stretch the visitors' lead to 13-1 before Williams earned the second River Hawk goal of the day off a free position shot of her own.

Frosh Christine Kelly (Farmingdale, N.Y.) answered three minutes later with her second of the year, and while Jay scored her second of the afternoon 19 seconds later, it would be the last UMass Lowell tally of the contest.

The Bulldogs would get closing tallies from Olivia Brooks (Auburn, N.Y.) and Kayleigh Phillips (Westminster, Md.) for the 16-3 final margin.

On the day, Bryant outshot UMass Lowell, 24-10, including a 14-3 margin in the opening frame. The Bulldogs picked up 26 ground balls to the River Hawks' 15 and were paced in the category by five from rookie defender Laura Fullam (Massapequa, N.Y.). Draw controls were closer to even, with the Black and Gold edging their hosts just 11-10.

Bryant's rookie netminders split time between the pipes, with Samantha Santeramo (Wantagh, N.Y.) getting the start and picking up the win (1 save). Daja Andrews (Lumberton, N.J.) made two stops in the second half, while UMass Lowell frosh Courtney Barrett turned away three in a complete-game effort.

The Bulldogs return home Saturday to wrap up non-conference play with a 12:00 p.m. bout against Patriot League foe Lehigh at the Bryant Turf Complex.