LOWELL, MASS. — The Bryant University women's soccer team closed out the regular season in dominant fashion on Sunday afternoon, earning a 5-0 victory over UMass Lowell to secure the No. 2 seed in the America East Championship.
The Bulldogs showed up with four first-half goals before adding another early in the second half. Five different players found the back of the net.
The Bulldogs host their semi-final America East playoff game on Sunday, November 8 at 4:00 p.m. Their opponent will be decided in a quarter final matchup between Maine and UAlbany on Thursday, November 5.
Final Score: Bryant 5, UMass Lowell 0
Records: Bryant (6-6-4, 4-2-2), UMass Lowell (5-7-4, 2-3-3)
Location: Cushing Field | Lowell, Mass.
Coach Biggs' Comments:
"We played a very complete game today. We defended well in both halves of the field, passed the ball well from back to front, and created and finished our scoring opportunities with great skill"
Key Moments:
- UMass Lowell came out aggressive and forced Shannon Mejia into a pair of early saves to keep the match scoreless.
- Morgan Nelson scored the first goal after Caitlin Forshay had played a ball into the penalty area.
- Forshay then played a perfectly timed ball to Samantha Zaslaw who beat the defender and found the back of the net.
- The Bulldogs extended their lead just minutes later as Grayson Edwards finished from close range in a crowded penalty area.
- Ashley Cunningham sent a cross from the right side, finding Ava Feeley in the box, where Feeley was able to get a head on the ball and in the net.
- Samantha Zaslaw delivered a ball into the penalty area on a free kick, where Whitney Vaillant finished from close up to make it 5-0.
- Lilian Gosselin entered in goal for Bryant during the second half, adding three saves to the four recorded by Mejia as the Bulldogs completed the shutout.
Scoring Summary:
- 11:41 — Morgan Nelson: Nelson opened the scoring for the Bulldogs, finishing a ball played into the penalty area by Caitlin Forshay.
- 16:03 — Samantha Zaslaw: Forshay played a perfectly timed ball behind the UMass Lowell defense, allowing Zaslaw to run onto the pass and finish past the goalkeeper.
- 18:36 — Grayson Edwards: Edwards finished from close range in a crowded penalty area off a combination from Forshay and Nelson.
- 39:20 — Ava Feeley: Ashley Cunningham delivered a cross from the right flank, finding Feeley in the box. Feeley jumped up and finished the ball with a header.
- 46:24 — Whitney Vaillant: Zaslaw delivered a ball into the penalty area on a free kick, where Vaillant finished from close range.
Game Notes:
- Bryant secured the No. 2 seed in the America East Championship, earning a first-round bye and a home semifinal matchup.
- The Bulldogs finished the regular season with a 6-6-4 overall record and a 4-2-2 mark in America East play.
- Bryant is now 5-9-4 against Umass Lowell all time.
- The last time the Bulldogs scored five goals against a conference opponent was in 2021, when they were still in the NEC, in a 5-3 win against Mount St. Mary's.
- Bryant recorded its ninth shutout of the season and fourth in its last five matches.
- Five different Bulldogs found the back of the net, with Nelson, Edwards and Feeley each recording their first goals of the 2026 season.
- Forshay recorded a game-high three assists, contributing to each of Bryant's first three goals. This will make her tied for first for the program record of assists in a single game.
- Zaslaw scored her seventh goal of the season and added an assist. She now ranks third in D1 program history for points in a season and tied for second in goals in a season.
- Lilian Goesslin made her collegiate debut when she went into goal in the second half of the game.
Up Next:
The Bulldogs will enter the 2026 America East Women's Soccer Championship as the No. 2 seed, earning a first-round bye and advancing directly to the semifinals. Their opponent will be decided in a quarter final matchup between third-seeded and sixthed-seeded UAlbany on Thursday, November 5. Bryant will host its semifinal matchup at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, R.I. on Sunday, November 8 with a 4:00P p.m. kickoff.
