October 3, 2007

SECOND-RANKED BRYANT AND NO. 10 SAINT ROSE BATTLE TO 2-2 TIE

Stephanie Zalewski put Bryant up 1-0 with a goal in the 11th minute in Wednesday's game with Saint Rose. www.dspics.com

SMITHFIELD, RI - With first place in the Northeast-10 Conference standings at stake, the second-ranked Bryant University women's soccer team engaged in a heavy-weight battle with tenth-ranked Saint Rose Wednesday afternoon at Bulldog Stadium. When the dust settled, the two teams still remain tied atop the conference standings after ending in a 2-2 double overtime tie.   

The Bulldogs (12-0-2, 7-0-2 NE-10) out-shot Saint Rose 21 to 9 in the contest but a span of 20 minute late in the second half saw the visitors capitalize on several good scoring changes .

In the early going though, it was all Bryant as the Bulldogs applied constant pressure on the Saint Rose defense which came into the game allowing just one goal this season.  The Bulldogs finally broke through in the 11^th minute as Holly Tyser (Somers, Conn.) put a great move on Saint Rose defender Coco Ebersole (Fort Collins, Colo.) and was able to send a cross from the leftside to a waiting Stephanie Zalewski (Parsippany, NJ).  Zalewski was able to easily beat Golden Knight keeper Lauren Steinberg (Hopewell Junction, NY) to put Bryant on top 1-0.

It was the first goal allowed in the first half by the Saint Rose defense this year.  The Bulldogs continued to apply more pressure but the Golden Knight offense started to click as the momentum started to turn in their favor for much of the remaining first half. 

Senior Ashley McGuire (Fishkill, NY) used her speed to beat a Bryant defender down the left side and set a perfect cross along the goal line to teammate Lindsay Bove (Holliston, Mass.).  Bove was able to collect the McGuire pass and one-time a shot that went over the head of Bryant goalie Jessica Neales (Swansea, Mass.) and hit off the cross bar but found its way into the net to make it 1-1 in the 25^th minute. 

The Golden Knights continue to apply more pressure and broke through for another tally 12 minutes later.  Following a Saint Rose corner, Jaclyn Evans (Georgetown, Mass.) bounced off a Bryant defender outside the 18-yard box, but freshman Kelly Guerin (Sutton, Mass.) was able to pick up the loose ball and blasted a hard shot from 25 yards out that Neales couldn't reach, giving the visitors a 2-1 advantage. 

The Bulldogs picked up the pace in the second half, putting several good scoring chance on goal, the best perhaps coming with Tyser finding herself alone in front but her shot but Steinberg made a tremendous save to keep the Golden Knights in front.  Steinberg was excellent in net, finishing the game with nine saves.

Bryant would finally get the equalizer in the 75^th minute when Diane Pascale's (Plymouth, Mass.) shot from 20 yards out hit off the back of a Saint Rose defender and tucked inside the left post for her third goal of the season.

That's all the scoring for the remainder of the contest as both teams had good opportunities in the extra time but couldn't cash in. The Bulldogs will host Assumption College this Saturday at 2 pm for Senior Day.    

@ Smithfield, RI.

#2 Bryant 2, #10 Saint Rose 2 - (2OT)

Goals:  B - Zalewski, Pascale.  S - Bove, Guerin.  Assists - B - Tyser. S - McGuire.

Shots:  B - 21, S - 9.  Saves: B - Neales 2. S - Steinberg, 9

Records:  Bryant 12-0-3, 7-0-2; Saint Rose 10-0-2, 7-0-2 NE-10)

Halftime - Saint Rose 1-0.  End of Regulation, 2-2.