Robert Morris battles back to beat Bryant, 12-11

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – Senior Jess DeMeo (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) scored three goals and helped the Bryant University women's lacrosse team erase an early deficit, but Robert Morris clamped down defensively in the closing minutes to defeat the Bulldogs 12-11 Friday at Joe Walton Stadium.

Juniors Caitlin Breglia (Long Beach, N.Y.) and Clark added two-goal games for Bryant. The Bulldogs still control their own destiny for an NEC tournament berth and would qualify with a victory in Sunday's regular-season finale.

GAME INFORMATION
Robert Morris 12, Bryant 11
Records: Bryant (7-8, 3-3 NEC), Robert Morris (11-4, 4-2 NEC)
Location: Joe Walton Stadium (Moon Township, Pa.)

COACH ROCHE'S COMMENTS
"We made some errors today and Robert Morris capitalized when we did. We need to clean up the unforced errors, focus on the execution of our systems and prepare for Saint Francis."

KEY MOMENTS

• Bryant used a six-goal run to turn a 6-3 deficit into a 9-6 advantage, but Robert Morris answered with two goals in nine seconds to pull within one and kept the Bulldogs within striking distance for a late comeback.
• Robert Morris scored the final two goals of the game, including the game-winner with 56 seconds remaining.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Robert Morris scored the first three goals of the game before Breglia got Bryant on the board with 17:55 remaining in the first half.
• Breglia and Meredith James (Essex Fells, N.J.) answered Colonial scores and RMU followed James' goal with one of their own to go ahead 6-3 with 5:46 left until halftime.
• The Bulldogs would respond with three goals in a span of 1:54, getting two from DeMeo and one from sophomore Caitlin Bolen (Queensbury, N.Y.) to even the game at six with 3:29 to go until the half.
• Bryant scored three times in the opening 2:54 of the second half, as scores from junior Katie Clark (New Fairfield, Conn.), senior Lauren Britton (Monmouth Beach, N.J.) and DeMeo put Bryant ahead 9-6.
• The Colonials scored twice in a span of nine seconds to make it a one-goal game at 9-8 with 24:38 to go.
• Robert Morris tied the game 9-9 with 18:41 to play and neither team would lead by more than one the rest of the way.
• Goals from freshman Alexa Weber (South Windsor, Conn.) and Clark had Bryant up 11-10 with 14:47 to go, but the Bulldogs would be held off the board the remainder of the contest.
• The Colonials tied the game with 3:32 to play and scored the game-winning goal with 56 seconds remaining on a free-position goal.

STATS

• DeMeo tallied three goals and an assist.
• Breglia added two goals and an assist, while Clark recorded her second career two-goal game along with two ground balls and a caused turnover.
• Britton collected eight draw controls to go along with a goal and an assist.
• Robert Morris outshot Bryant, 43-21.
• The Bulldogs committed 22 turnovers to the Colonials' 10.

GAME NOTES

• Bryant drops to 6-5 all-time against Robert Morris.
• James moved to 167 career draw controls, four shy of Nicole Britton for second in program history.

UP NEXT
Bryant closes the regular season Sunday at noon at Saint Francis U. The game will not be streamed on NEC Front Row. 

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