SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sophomore Megan Brockbank (Bayport, N.Y.)  tied her career high with three goals as the UMass Lowell women's lacrosse team (2-9, 0-3 AE) fell to the Bryant Bulldogs (6-2, 3-0 NEC), 11-9, on Wednesday night at the Bryant Track and Turf Complex.
 
Alongside Brockbank, junior Abby McLaughlin (Walpole, Mass.) added in two goals, while juniors Layton Nass (Manhasset, N.Y.), Grace Hansen (Stamford, Conn.), Izzy Liquori (Agawam, Mass.) and sophormore Kaitlin Tobin (Southold, N.Y.) each tallied a goal. In net, graduate student Alex Salim (East Islip, N.Y.) had double-digit saves to solidify the River Hawks defense.

"I thought we played very well defensively tonight," said head coach Lisa Miller. "We generated a lot of quality scoring opportunities. I'm proud of our effort and discipline."
 
The first five minutes of the game found both teams playing exceptional defense, with both the Bulldogs and the River Hawks only allowing one shot each. However, with 10:07 on the clock, junior Grace Hansen (Stamford, Conn.) fired one past the goalkeeper, giving the River Hawks the 1-0 lead. Sixteen seconds after a free-position goal for the Bulldogs tied the game, junior Izzy Liquori (Agawam, Mass.) found the back of the net to regain the lead. In the final minutes of the quarter, two goals from junior Abby McLaughlin (Walpole, Mass.) would give the River Hawks a 4-1 lead after one quarter.
 
UMass Lowell increased the scoring run to five straight goals Nass and Tobin recorded a goal each, increasing the lead to five with 13 minutes remaining in the half. The Bulldogs responded with their own scoring run, netting four straight goals to cut the River Hawks lead to one at the half.
 
Coming out of the locker room, both teams looked refreshed on defense, limiting shot opportunities, and holding the game scoreless over the first five minutes. After causing a turnover, Brockbank was able to break free and fire a shot to tally her first goal of the game and give the River Hawks a 7-5 lead. However, UMass Lowell couldn't find its footing offensively through the remainder of the quarter, while Bryant added on four more goals to take a 9-7 lead into the final quarter.
 
In the fourth quarter, Brockbank added in two more goals to complete the hat trick, but the Bulldogs matched with two goals of their own to hold the lead until the clock hit zero.
 
Next up, the River Hawks will travel to New York to take on Binghamton at the Bearcats Sports Complex on Saturday, April 9, at 1 p.m.