SMITHFIELD, R.I. – A Connor O'Hara goal with 11 ticks left in regulation capped off four unanswered Bucknell goals, as the hosts overcame an 8-6 fourth-quarter deficit to steal a 9-8 victory from the Bryant University men's lacrosse team Saturday afternoon in Lewisburg, Pa.

All three fourth-quarter Bison (2-0) scores came off assists from Will Sands, while O'Hara netted three of the final four tallies. The Bulldogs (1-1) didn't trail in the contest until the final 11 seconds despite seeing a pair of ties.

"It was a shame to have the game go our way for three quarters and just not be able to get it done in the fourth," said Bryant head coach Mike Pressler. "Bucknell outplayed us in those last six minutes. It would have been a heck of a road win for us in the early season."

The Bulldogs opened the scoring with three quick goals, getting tallies from Kyle Cornell (Darien, Conn.), Brett Baker (Ridgefield, Conn.) and Jake Buonaiuto (Miller Place, N.Y.) in the opening five minutes of the contest. Sean O'Brien would cut that gap to one with a pair of goals over just 67 seconds, sending the visitors into the second with just a 3-2 edge.

"I couldn't have been more pleased with our start," said Pressler. "We really got after them early in the game."

Bucknell would knot the contest at 3-3 with 13:41 to go in the second frame off Brad Dotson's first goal of the season, but the Black and Gold attack responded, as senior captain Tucker James (Essex Fells, N.J.) took a feed from Buonaiuto from behind the goal line extended to break the deadlock at the 9:13 mark.

A bounce shot from junior middie Tom Kennedy (Farmingdale, N.Y.) from 10 yards out moved the Bulldogs' lead to 5-3, and both sides would find the back of the net once more before the intermission. O'Hara would get his first of the day on the only man-up goal of the contest – Bucknell went 1-for-4 on the outing – but Buonaiuto restored the two-goal lead with 1:01 on the clock with the stall warning on.

Out of the break, Reed Malas got his first of two goals on the afternoon in the first minute of play, but seconds later it was junior attack Cam Ziegler (Carlsbad, Calif.) who put his name in the books, taking a pass from classmate Ryan Sharpe (Poway, Calif.) and re-upping the visitors' two-score lead, 7-5.

Sprung by a loose ball after a string of Bucknell turnovers created by Ziegler and then senior longpole Jared Kaden (Martinsville, N.J.), James got back on the board after a one-on-one chance with goalie Christian Klipstein, slipping a shot inside the near post with six to play in the frame for an 8-5 lead.

But that would mark the final Bryant tally of the outing, setting up the second comeback win of the young season for the Bison. O'Hara would cap off third-quarter scoring from the doorstep with 19 seconds to go, and he would close the margin to 8-7 after nine minutes of even play to open the fourth.

"They came back to make it two goals at the end of the third, and that was a big momentum play that went in their favor," said Pressler.

Malas notched the tying goal with a sidearm shot from the left side as the clock ticked under five to play, and O'Hara would give the Bulldogs little opportunity to force extra time after hitting the winning shot from seven yards out with 11 seconds remaining.

"Our guys played hard, but we had some breakdowns, especially mentally, at the end of the game that came back to bite us," said Pressler. "We have to finish the game better at both ends of the field."

O'Hara (4g) led all scorers on the day and was one of just four goal scorers for the host Bison. Sands and Tommy O'Connor finished the outing with four and three assists, respectively. The Bulldogs saw seven scorers, paced by two apiece from James and Buonaiuto.

Faceoff specialist Jarett Witzal went 13-for-18 with a game-high seven ground balls, while junior Kenny Massa (Huntington, N.Y.) was limited to a 6-of-19 mark with a trio of ground balls. James picked up three caused turnovers for the Black and Gold, while junior defenseman Chas South (Lincroft, N.J.) led the side with four ground balls.

Junior netminder James Werner (New Rochelle, N.Y.) made 11 saves despite the loss, equaling the total of his Bucknell counterpart.

"I thought James Werner was very good in the goal," said Pressler. "In his second career start and first on the road, he played with a lot of confidence, and I am very pleased with the way he performed. And Kyle Mummau did a great job on one of the best attackmen in college lacrosse [Will Sands]. Those two, without question, were a bright spot for us today."

Mummau finished the game with two ground balls and one of the team's 11 caused turnovers. Sands was kept off the board, doling out four helpers.

The Bulldogs will look to rebound quickly from the loss and will host Providence College in the opening round of the Ocean State Cup Feb. 18 at the Bryant Track & Turf Complex. The 1 p.m. contest marks the team's 2017 home opener.