September 13, 2009

BEARS CLAW PAST BULLDOGS, 3-2, SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN INTRASTATE MATCHUP

Boxscore

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Despite continued offensive production and an early lead, the Bryant University field hockey team wouldn't be able to hold on to a 2-0 advantage against Brown, falling, 3-2, on the road Sunday afternoon.

Sophomore Aly Czerniak (Holyoke, Mass.) and junior Elise Boissoneau (Ashburnham, Mass.) each scored early in the opening frame for the Bulldogs, who fall to 1-4 on the season with the loss.

Czerniak got the scoring started less than a minute into the game when she made good on a rebound after her teammate's shot was blocked with just 45 seconds off the clock to send Bryant up, 1-0.

Boissoneau scored her third goal in as many games 11 minutes later, when she tipped a Tia Pydynkowski (Hampton Falls, N.H.) pass in past Brown goalkeeper Caroline Washburn for a quick two-goal lead for the visitors.

The Bears' Kit Masini would get one back before the half, but the Bulldogs would keep the lead into the break, 2-1.

Play remained even well into the second half, with Bryant carrying the one-goal edge into the contest's final 10 minutes. But following a yellow card to Boissoneau, Brown (2-2) took advantage of the situation, scoring the final two of three unanswered goals for the eventual 3-2 win.

With less than 10 minutes to play in the game, Katie Hyland knotted the score at 2-2 on a penalty shot, just three minutes before the Bears took the 3-2 lead on a Leslie Springmeyer goal.

The score would stick until the final whistle, as the Bulldogs were forced to go home empty-handed.

Both teams recorded 19 shots on the day, with Bulldog senior Kundayi Mawema (Harare, Zimbabwe) making nine saves to Washburn's eight. Bryant took a slight edge on penalty corners, 11-9, while sophomore Courtney Landi (Kingston, N.Y.) ripped a game-high five shots.

The Bulldogs won't have long to dwell on the weekend's losses, hitting the road again on Wednesday, Sept. 16 to take on Fairfield University at 4:00 p.m.