October 24, 2007

SAINT ANSELM UPSETS BRYANT, 3-1, IN NORTHEAST-10 QUARTERFINALS

SOPH. CAITLAN JOHNSON

SMITHFIELD, RI - The No. 9 Bryant University field hockey team was upset at home by Saint Anselm Wednesday night, losing 3-1 in the Northeast-10 Conference Quarterfinals.

Though the third-seeded Bulldogs outshot the sixth-seeded Hawks, 26-11, it was Saint Anselm who drew first blood, notching the game's first goal off the stick of Laura Urko early in the 14th minute. The Hawks upped their lead to 2-0 less than two minutes later when Sam Rowe scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season off an Annie Heaney feed.

The Bulldogs drew within one in the 29^th minute, when senior Shana Libman (Attleboro, Mass.) scored her fifth goal of the season to cut Saint Anselm's lead in half, 2-1. Sophomore midfielder Caitlan Johnson (Walpole, Mass.) got the helper.

But the Bryant defense couldn't keep the Hawk attack out Wednesday night, and Saint Anselm sophomore Karrie Muma capitalized, scoring minutes later to make the score 3-1. The score would stick through a scoreless second half.

Bryant forward Kelly Frantz (Southbury, Conn.) took a game-high seven shots, putting a game-high four on net. Bulldog goalkeeper Kundayi Mawema (Hare, Zimbabwe) recorded six saves in the loss while Hawk goalkeeper Riley Haddock made 11.

With the win, Saint Anselm advances to the Northeast-10 Conference Semifinals and will take on second-seeded Bentley on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Lowell, Mass.