May 6, 2010

MEN'S LACROSSE CONCLUDES 2010 SEASON WITH 10-9 WIN OVER HOBART
Bullodgs conclude season with four-straight wins to finish second year of Division I with 12-5 record

BOXSCORE  / (VIDEO - JAMESON LOVE INCREDIBLE SAVE)

Senior Matt Murnane notched his second assist of the season in helping lead Bryant to a 10-9 win over Hobart Thursday afternoon.

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.