October 22, 2010

RIDER SNAPS BULLDOGS' WINNING STREAK, TOPS BRYANT 3-0 FRIDAY NIGHT

Less than two minutes separated a pair of insurance goals for Rider in the final 10 minutes of Friday's contest, but in the end, neither was necessary as the Bryant University field hockey team was shut out by the Broncs, 3-0, snapping the Bulldogs' winning streak at five.

The loss was the first for Bryant (6-10, 3-1 Northeast Conference) in league action in 2010 and just the team's second defeat in the last eight outings. Rider (11-3, 4-0) remained undefeated in Northeast Conference play, paced by a pair of tallies from Lindsay Rajeski.

The game winner came off the stick of Rajeski in the 37th minute Friday night in New Jersey, a score that was set up by Alicia Govannicci and Virginia Egusquiza off a penalty corner.

Bryant would keep just a one-goal deficit through the halftime break and well into the second frame, but as the clock hit the 62:34 mark, Egusquiza and Rajeski switched roles, with the former capitalizing on a loose ball seven yards out to give the home team a 2-0 advantage.

Just 1:44 later, the trio would execute another successful penalty corner to tack on one final score, leaving the Bulldogs on the losing end for the first time since Oct. 2.

Junior Jennifer Gullotti (Waltham, Mass.) shined despite the loss, recording a career-high 18 saves on the night while facing 30 Rider shots, 21 going on goal. Bryant mustered just a trio of shots on the outing, all three on target. Gullotti made an impressive 12 stops in the first half alone, while the Broncs were the beneficiaries of a whopping 21 penalty corners to Bryant's two in the affair.

The Bulldogs will look to get a new streak started Sunday afternoon, when they travel to West Long Branch, N.J. to take on Monmouth University. Game time is at 12:00 p.m.