Bryant Finishes Season with Four Straight Ws
from press release
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Evan Roberts’
pair of goals in the final five minutes proved to be the difference
as the Bryant University men’s lacrosse team rallied back
from a three-goal deficit to pick up a thrilling 10-9 win over
visiting Hobart in the season finale Thursday afternoon at Bulldog
Stadium.
Bryant concludes the 2010 season, the program’s second in
Division I, with a 12-5 overall record. Beginning next year, the
Bulldogs will become eligible for the NCAA Division I
postseason.
Thursday’s game with Hobart marked the final game for seniors
Matt Murnane (Rockville Centre, N.Y.), Matt McAllister (East
Quogue, N.Y.), Andrew Hennessey (Wading River, N.Y.) and Bryant
Amitrano (Valley Stream, N.Y.) who were a part of 47 victories over
the past four years and 22 at the Division I level.
The Bulldogs came out strong against the Statesmen , breaking a 2-2
deadlock with goals from Mason Poli (Downington, Pa.) and Matt
Larson (Cheshire, Conn.) to give the hosts a 4-2 lead.
Poli’s goal at the start of the second quarter came after the
Bryant defense blocked a shot from close range by Kevin
Curtin. Murnane scooped up the ground ball in his own zone
and led a wide-open fast break where he found Poli who one-timed a
high shot past Hobart goalie Max Silberlicht. For Murnane, it
was the senior’s second assist this season.
Hobart (3-11) would respond in a big way following Larson’s
goal as the Statesmen reeled off four-straight goals, two from
Curtin, to take a 6-4 lead into the locker room at the break.
Curtin’s goal at the 2:35 mark came on a deflection in front
of the Bryant goal, but was enough to swing the momentum to Hobart
as on the ensuing face-off won by Bobby Dattilo, the sophomore
broke free from the scrum and found teammate Alex Caton who fed it
quickly back to Dattilo who was able to beat Bryant goalie Jameson
Love (Darien, Conn.) to give Hobart its first lead of the game.
Both teams would trade off man-up goals to start the second and
following an even strength tally by Caton early in the third,
Bryant found itself trailing 8-5.
Two Travis Harrington (Vestal, N.Y.) goals pulled the Bulldogs to
within 8-7 before the Peter McMahon (Wilton, Conn.) tied things up
with his 17th goal of the year to make it 8-8 heading into the
fourth.
In the fourth, Hobart would take a 9-8 lead with just over six
minutes remaining as Mike Lazore scored following a turnover by the
Bulldogs. But with Reid Rosello off for slashing, Roberts
wasted little time to even things back up again, scoring on a hard
shot from the slot just 18 seconds into the extra man
opportunity.
A few minutes later, Roberts would score the game-winner from
nearly the same spot as teammate Max Weisenberg (Long Beach, N.Y.)
found Roberts alone with a nice pass from behind the Hobart net for
his second goal of the game with 2:47 left on the clock and the
Bulldogs were able to hang on from there.
