Oct. 17, 2010

WOMEN'S SOCCER DROPS 1-0 DECISION TO LONG ISLAND SUNDAY AFTERNOON

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Unable to breakthrough the defense for quality scoring chances, the Bryant University women's soccer team fell to Long Island, 1-0, in a Northeast Conference matchup Sunday afternoon at Bulldog Stadium.

With the loss, the Bulldogs dip to 5-9-2 overall and 3-2-1 in the NEC while the Blackbirds improve to 11-1-3 on the season and 4-0-1 in the conference.

Despite being outshot by the visitors in the first half by a margin of 7-1, the Bryant defense held off the Long Island scoring attack as sophomore keeper Kelsi Jacob (Mahwah, N.J.) recorded five saves in the opening stanza.

Long Island jumped out of the gate for a pair of early shots by Toni Smith and Brittany Schandelmayer but Jacob was able to stop both attempts, the first of which by way of a one-handed diving save.

The best chance of the first half for the Bulldogs came with 15 minutes left to play when junior Kaitlyn Hinck (Bow, N.H.) sent an arching cross into the Blackbird box, but a sprinting Krista Johnstone (Dover, N.H.) just missed the connection for a header.

With the defensive battle continuing into the second half, the Blackbirds scored the lone tally of the game in the 68th minute by way of Kayleigh Morgan. Following a rebounded shot that ended with Bryant keeper Jacob on the ground, defender Alyssa Kozlowski (Ellicott City, Md.) came in to recover but Morgan sent a shot past the freshman for the game-winner.    

The Bulldogs enjoyed a final scoring opportunity in the last 20 seconds of the game but the shot by sophomore Regan Marin (Bedford, N.Y.) rose just high of the Blackbird net as time expired.

Jacob recorded seven saves in net for the Bulldogs, who return to the pitch on Friday, Oct. 22 when they host Quinnipiac at 4:00 p.m.