April 24, 2007
BRYANT MEN'S LACROSSE DEFEATS MERRIMACK 12-11
Bulldogs Clinch Northeast-10 Regular Season
Title
BOX SCORE
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| Senior Bryan Molk notched the game-winner against Merrimack
Tuesday. www.dspics.com
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NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - Senior Bryan Molk (Peabody, Mass.) scored
four goals including the game-winner as the Bryant men's lacrosse
team clinched its first regular season Northeast-10 Conference
regular season title with a 12-11 win over Merrimack College
Tuesday night. But the win was anything but easy.
The Bulldogs opened the game with sluggish play and the Warriors
took advantage. Scoring on their first two shots of the game,
Merrimack quickly jumped out in front 2-0 just over three minutes
into the contest.
Bryant would regroup, however, picking up the pace of the game
and quickly turning the deficit into a one-goal lead thanks to
three quick unanswered goals. Corey Crosbie (Salem,
Mass.) got things going with a goal at the 9:45 mark while
Bryan Kaufmann (Putnam Valley, NY) hooked up with
Kevin Hoagland (Glastonbury, Conn.) to knot the
game at 2-2.
Feeling the momentum turn in their favor, the Bulldogs got a
strong face-off win from Bryan Molk (Peabody,
Mass.). The senior co-captain raced up midfield and
found Hoagland who one-timed a high shot past Merrimack goalie Eric
Tompkins.
Merrimack would proceed to blitz the Bulldogs with six-straight
goals, taking an 8-3 lead midway through the second quarter and
appearing as if they would run away with the game quickly.
However, another four-goal burst pulled Bryant back as
Hoagland's 30th of the season with 2:06 left on an
assist from Hoagland made the score 8-7, but the Warriors would
answer with a goal on the ensuing face-off to take a 9-7 lead into
the locker room at the half.
In the second half, the Bulldogs twice cut the lead down to one
but costly turnovers and solid passing by the Warriors kept the
hosts lead at two, 11-9 heading into the fourth.
In the fourth, Bryant finally got its offensive into gear.
Peppering the Warrior goalie with several shots, Molk was finally
able to break through with a man-advantage goal. Kaufmann
tied the game with a goal at 9:05. Vince Zorskas (Port Washington,
NY) came up with a big ground ball after the face-off and found
Matt McKeefrey (Melville, NY) who quickly got it to Kaufman to make
it 11-11.
On the next face-off, Molk out-worked Reid Eichelberger quickly
for a win a proceeded to race down field and ripped the game-winner
past Tompkins.
Bryant goalie Michael Kennedy (Port Jefferson Station, NY) came
up big with several key fourth quarter saves and defenseman Corey
MacDougall (Waltham, Mass.) stripped Merrimack sniper Greg Rogowski
late to help preserve the win.
Bryant (9-2, 8-0 Northeast-10) will wrap up the Northeast-10
Conference regular season this Friday when the Bulldogs travel to
Southern New Hampshire for a 4 p.m. game. The team will conclude
its regular season Sunday when they face Limestone for a
non-conference game at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
