Box Score

The Sacred Heart University women's lacrosse team fell 11-10 to visiting Northeast Conference foe Bryant University Friday afternoon on Campus Field.  The loss drops the Pioneers to 4-7 on the year and 0-2 in league play, while the Bulldogs improve to 8-3 overall and 2-0 in conference action.

Bryant scored four of the first five goals to expand a 5-4 halftime lead to 9-5 with 14:53 to play in regulation.  Jesslyn Joseph started a Pioneer rally, scoring a free position goal with 11:56 to play in the game.  Paige DeVine netted a pass from Averi Farhat 3:02 later to make it 9-7.  Farhat scored with 5:23 to play and Liana Doyle netted a Farhat pass with 4:16 to play to knot the score 9-9.

Nicole Britton won the ensuing draw control for the Bulldogs and 54 seconds later Emily Columbus put home the go-ahead goal, driving down the middle.  Bryant won that draw control as well, but Caitlin Delaney intercepted a Britton pass, went the length of the field and scored, tying the game 10-10, with 87 seconds to play in the game.  Molly Martin was fouled on the next draw to give Bryant the ball and Columbus netted the game-winner on an eight-meter shot with 17 seconds left to secure the win.

Joseph paced the Pioneers with her five goal effort.  She also added a team-best four ground balls and two caused turnovers and finished with three draw controls. Farhat tallied four points on two goals and two assists, while Delaney recorded a goal and two assists to go along with a team-best four draw controls. Kelly Keenan made nine saves in net for the Pioneers.

SHU finished with a 12-11 edge in ground balls on the game, while Bryant recorded a 13-10 edge in draw controls.  The Bulldogs outshot SHU 28-20 while picking up more fouls, 26-20. Both teams took care of the ball well, with SHU committing 12 turnovers and going 12-16 on clears and the Bulldogs committing nine turnovers and going 14-16 on clears.

Columbus scored five times to lead Bryant, including a 3-3 effort from eight-meters.  Lauren Descalzo recorded a natural hat trick and Britton added three points on a goal and two assists.  Martin had a team-best five draw controls, while Shannon Burns picked up three ground balls.  Sam Santeramo started in goal and played the first half, making three saves against four goals allowed.  Daja Andrews earned the win, playing the final 30 minutes with six goals against and five saves on her line.

The Pioneers return to action on Sunday when they host Central Connecticut at 1 p.m.