Dalton's late saves preserve tie against UMass Lowell

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Freshman Meghan Dalton (West Hartford, Conn.) recorded three of her four saves in the second overtime period, securing a point for the Bryant University women's soccer team in a scoreless draw with UMass Lowell on Wednesday afternoon at the Bulldog Soccer Field.

GAME INFORMATION

Bryant 0, UMass Lowell 0

Records: Bryant (1-0-1), UMass Lowell (0-0-2)

Location: Bulldog Soccer Field (Smithfield, R.I.)

COACH BIGGS' COMMENTS

"I think that we grew into the game. I think we were a little bit slow to start, a little bit tentative. But as the game went along, we started to find our feet and just become a little more aggressive… In the first half we were not able to break their initial line of pressure, but as the game went along we were able to break that and the wingers were aggressive with their crosses and that helped us create some chances."

KEY MOMENT

• Dalton came up with two big saves in the overtime periods. In the first, she was faced with a shot from the middle of the box off the foot of Olivia Crema, but the freshman was able to tip it off the crossbar. With the game in its waning moments in the second overtime, a UMass Lowell free kick came to the feet of Shannon Groffie just outside the six-yard box at the far post and Dalton came up with the last of her clutch overtime saves, coming out to give no shooting space to Groffie and made the save.

SCORING SUMMARY

No scoring

STATS/NOTES

• The Bulldogs defense has kept a clean sheet in their first two games of the season for the second straight year.
• It is also the second straight season the Bulldogs are undefeated in their first two matches of the year and the only two times this has happened in the Division I era.
• It is only the second tie between the Bulldogs and River Hawks in its 16-match series history.
• The Bulldogs are unbeaten in four of their last five home openers.
• Freshman Amanda Spitaleri (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) and junior Alison Guilmette (Coventry, R.I.) led the Bulldogs with two shots on frame each.
• Dalton's four saves are the most by a freshman goalie since Kaylan Conrad recorded seven against Mount St. Mary's on Oct. 20, 2013.

UP NEXT

The Bulldogs invade the Sunshine State to take on the Stetson Hatters at 7:00 p.m. in DeLand, Fla.