October 24, 2008
BULLDOGS TAKE HOME WIN ON SENIOR DAY, BEAT CORNELL 1-0 AT BULLDOG STADIUM
SMITHFIELD, RI - Sophomore defender Steph Del Mistro (East Williston, N.Y.) scored her second goal of the season in the 79th minute of play to lift the Bulldogs to a 1-0 win over visiting Cornell at Bulldog Stadium Friday afternoon. It was the lone home game of the year for Bryant, who improved to 4-9-3 in front of a crowd of 187 on senior day.
The Bulldogs controlled the first half of play, posting nine shots, with three on net in the first 45 minutes. Bryant's best scoring chance came in the 23rd minute, when sophomore midfielder Holly Tyser (Somers, Conn.) headed a ball inside the penalty box to Brooke Duchaney (Hampton Falls, N.H.) who had a shot from point-blank range but was stopped by Big Red keeper Jodi Palmer. The rebound bounced back to Tyser who had her shot blocked, and Duchaney put the follow up just wide of the outside post. Palmer made three saves in net in the first half, while Bryant senior keeper Jessica Neales (Swansea, Mass.) made one stop, as the two teams went into the half scoreless.
Bryant continued to attack in the second half, creating a quality scoring chance in the 60th minute of play on a corner by Amy Orzechowski (Milford, Conn.) that found the right foot Alex DiPippo (Shelton, Conn.) but just cleared the net over the crossbar.
Senior keeper Jessica Clark (Barnstable, Mass.) helped keep the contest scoreless making two outstanding saves. The first came twelve minutes into the second half, when Brook Chang came in wide open on a breakaway, but Clark came out and stuffed her from 12 yards out. The Big Red (1-10-1) came in on the attack again just four minutes later, when Eva Dixon struck a ball towards the near post from 15 yards away but Clark made a diving save.
The Bulldogs made another great bid at a goal in the 77th minute as freshman Kaitlyn Hinck (Bow, N.H.) crossed a ball from the left side along the end-line to a sprinting Steph Del Mistro at the far post, but Big Red defender Katie Hayes was there to make the block at the goal line.
Del Mistro would finally break the scoreless tie just two minutes later following a scramble in the box. A shot was blocked off of a Big Red defender and came bouncing to Del Mistro at the penalty spot who rifled the ball into the roof of the net, giving the Bulldogs the 1-0 advantage. Bryant would go on to outshoot Cornell 23-5 in the game.
The win was the first Division I home win for Bryant in their first time playing at Bulldog Stadium. The squad will play their season finale on Wednesday when they travel to play Quinnipiac (3 p.m.).
Women's Soccer
@ Smithfield, RI
Goals:
BRY - Del Mistro (79th)
COR - none
Shots - Bryant 23, Cornell 5
Saves - Bryant 3, Cornell 7
Halftime - Tied 0-0
