Top-seeded Bulldogs advance to third-straight NEC Final with Friday win over #4 Robert Morris

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Behind a game-high six goals from Northeast Conference Offensive Player of the Year Lauren Descalzo (Hauppauge, N.Y.), the top-seeded Bryant University women's lacrosse team took down #4 Robert Morris, 18-10, in the NEC Tournament Semifinals, Friday afternoon at the Bryant Turf Complex.

With the win, the Bulldogs (13-4) advance to the NEC Championship for the third-straight year, and for the second time in-a-row, will faceoff off with second-seeded Wagner, who took down Mount St. Mary's in the other semifinal game.

However on Friday, it was all Bryant from the get-go as 11 combined goals from Descalzo and sophomore Emily Columbus (East Northup, N.Y.) were enough to push the tournament hosts to victory.

Columbus got things going for the Bulldogs right out of the gate, putting home two tallies within the first two minutes of action to give Bryant the lightning fast 2-0 lead. RMU's Emily Jamison put her team on the board at the 25:27 mark but Columbus answered right back 23 seconds later to net the hat trick within the first five minutes of play.

After Kristin Yoviene put away her first of the afternoon to cut the margin to a single goal, the Bulldogs went on to rattle off five-straight scores, including two from senior Skylar Zlotnick (Essex Fells, N.J.) to take an 8-3 lead with 9:10 remaining in the first half.

Eventually, Brittany Byerly stopped the run with a marker at 7:27, but it was Descalzo with back-to-back scores to widen the gap to seven, 10-3, with 4:35 left until halftime. Just before the half, Yoviene put away her second of the game to make it 10-4 Bryant heading into the locker room.

Out of the half, Yoviene completed her hat trick bid just 19 seconds into the second period, but another 5-0 Bryant run, featuring goals from Descalzo, Columbus, Nicole Britton (Monmouth Beach, N.J.) and Meaghan Brennan (Glen Head, N.Y.) kept the hosts at a comfortable 10-goal lead, 15-5, with 20:52 left to play.

However, three-consecutive Colonials scores over the next 3+ minutes brought the visitors right back in it with just under 12 minutes left on the clock. But it was Bryant's three who once again put the defending champs back in the driver's seat at Descalzo and Columbus put home their sixth and fifth goals, respectively, with Britton dishing out assists five and six for the game.

The Colonials scored twice in the final two minutes of play but it was too little, too late as the Bulldogs cruised to yet another trip to the NEC Final, 18-10.

The Black and Gold dominated in the draw circle throughout the contest thanks to the work of senior midfielder Shannon Burns (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) and Britton who combined for 11 of Bryant's 19 draw wins. Freshman Samantha Santeramo (Wantagh, N.Y.) was money in net for the Bulldogs, making five saves for her ninth win of the year.

Looking ahead, Bryant will look to make it back-to-back wins over the Seahawks in the NEC Finals when the two teams square off on Sunday. Last year, the Black and Gold won, 14-6, behind six goals from Descalzo.

The 2015 NEC Championship is set for Sunday, at 1 p.m. at the Bryant Turf Complex.