September 15, 2007

#10 BRYANT DEFEATS SECOND-RANKED STONEHILL 2-1 SATURDAY
@ Smithfield, RI
#10 Bryant 2, #2 Stonehill 1
Goals:  B- Courtney O'Brien, Shana Libman.  S- Kerri Sullivan.
Shots:  B 7, S 15    Saves: B Kundayi Mawema 10, S - Dani Ryder 4

SMITHFIELD, RI -  Shana Libman (Attleboro, Mass.) and Courtney O'Brien (Tewksbury, Mass.) each had a goal and assist to help lead the tenth-ranked Bryant University field hockey team to a 2-1 win over second-ranked Stonehill Saturday night.  The win, Bryant's fifth in-a-row, improves the Bulldogs' record to 6-2 overall and 6-0 in the Northeast-10 Conference.  Stonehill (7-1, 5-1 NE-10) which got a goal from Kerri Sullivan (Goffstown, NH), falls for the first time this season. 

The Skyhawks (six first half penalty corners) controlled much of the action in the first half but could not find the back of the net as Bryant sophomore goalkeeper Kundayi Mawema (Hare, Zimbabwe) kept the game scoreless until the Bulldogs got things going midway through the first half.

Following an offense attack by the Skyhawks, the Bulldogs were able to clear the ball out of their own defensive zone.  Libman corralled an outlet pass near midfield and hit a streaking O'Brien down the middle of the field.  O'Brien was able to slice through the Skyhawk defense and beat Dani Ryder (Gloucester, Mass.) with a low, hard shot to make it 1-0 Bryant with 15:58 left in the half. 

In the second half, the Bulldogs made it 2-0 as this time it was O'Brien centering a perfect pass from the right side to Libman at the top of the circle.  The senior was able to gather in the pass and blasted a hard low shot that managed to sneak past Ryder just 12 minutes into the second half. 

Stonehill would answer.  Turning up the offensive attack (10 second half shots to Bryant's 3), Stonehill's Sullivan picked up a rebound in front of the Bryant net following another penalty corner attempt and beat Mawema to make it a one-goal game with 20 minutes remaining. 

But from there, the Bryant defense came through, holding off several chances by the Skyhawks to preserve the win, Bryant's first against a team ranked as high as No. 2.

The Bulldogs will travel to AIC on Thursday night.  Stonehill will host Southern Connecticut this Tuesday.