SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Senior Grace Hansen (Stamford, Conn.) tallied two goals as the UMass Lowell women's lacrosse team (5-5, 0-2 AE) fell to the Bryant Bulldogs (5-4, 1-1 AE), 18-5, on Saturday afternoon at Beirne Stadium.
"Bryant is a good program with a culture of winning and they jumped on us early," said head coach Lisa Miller. "These losses are teaching us to live with expectation and the importance of starting fast and being efficient with early possessions. We'll get back to work and get ready for UAlbany."
Tied with Hansen for the team lead, freshman
Macy Shultz (Adams, N.Y.) added two goals of her own, while sophomore
Jade Catlin (Middletown, Md.) chipped in with a goal and an assist. On the draw, senior
Julia Napolitano (Oakdale, N.Y.) led the squad with three draw control victories. Defensively, Napolitano and sophomore
Daia Hansford (Bowie, Md.) both caused a turnover and collected two ground balls. In net, freshman
Hannah Shaddock (Corning, N.Y.) saw the most time, making four saves in 30 minutes of play.
The Bulldogs got on the board first, jumping in front less than two minutes into the game. Under a minute later, however, the River Hawks struck back when Catlin found Grace Hansen open in front of the net, who fired off a shot to knot the game up at 1-1 with 12:40 on the clock. Only 36 seconds later, Shultz rushed around the side of the net and snuck the ball past the keeper to give UMass Lowell a 2-1 lead. Despite trailing, Bryant heated up on offense to tally three quick goals before adding one more at the end of the quarter to own a 5-2 advantage heading into the second period.
In the second quarter, the Bulldogs struck first again, this time with 13:39 on the clock. Although the River Hawk defense was able to limit Bryant's time of possession, the hosts continued their scoring streak, tallying five goals to take an 11-2 lead into halftime.
Coming out of the break, the UMass Lowell defense locked down, not allowing a goal for nearly half the period. Meanwhile, the offense went straight to work as Catlin and Grace Hansen recorded back-to-back goals, cutting the deficit down to seven. However, the visitors were unable to find the back of the for the remainder of the period, and Bryant added four more to lead 15-4 after three quarters.
In the fourth, Shultz added her second goal of the afternoon, but the Bulldogs countered with three goals of their own, sealing the 18-5 decision.
Next up, the River Hawks return to Cushing Field to take on the UAlbany Great Danes on Saturday, April 1st. Opening draw is scheduled for 2 p.m.