The University of Rhode Island women’s lacrosse team took a trip up to Smithfield to play Bryant University on Saturday, falling 15-6 in a battle between two teams that currently call Beirne Stadium home.
The Rams were able to score two times in the opening quarter and add another two goals in the second, going into the second half of the game down 8-4.
Second-year Kate Cumins had a team-high four goals against Bryant. Three of her four goals were on free-position opportunities.
Cumins got some support behind her with a pair of scores, netted by third-years Caralie Basuel and Calli Dunn.
Cumins’ first goal was unassisted to cut the deficit in half after Bryant took a 2-0 lead with goals from fourth-years Emily DeGeorge and Riley O’Mara.
Third-years Gabriella Constant and Malin-Skye Turnquist added another pair of goals for Bryant before Basuel’s goal got the Rams within two.
Opening the second quarter, Rhode Island came within one on Cumins’ second, but that’s the closest the Rams would get. A Turnquist score and a man-up goal from DeGeorge extended the Bryant lead.
After another score from Cumins, the Bulldogs scored four unanswered to finish the half and open the third quarter.
Dunn stopped the bleeding with a man-up goal to end the third, and Cumins concluded her scoring to start the fourth quarter strong for Rhode Island.
Another scoring streak sealed the game for Bryant, finishing with five straight scores. DeGeorge accounted for two of them, finishing as the game’s leading scorer with five goals and two assists. Constant’s fourth goal with under a minute to play put an end to the nine-goal victory.
The Rams had 10 shots across their six goals, with the Bulldogs’ second-year goalkeeper Sierra Donis only needing to make two saves in the game. Bryant had 29 shots on goal, with fifth-year goalkeeper Casey Phelps making 11 saves for Rhode Island.
Rhode Island was very successful on free-position shots, converting on all five opportunities. Bryant split its two free-position chances, but the Bulldogs didn’t need much help.
With the loss, Rhody falls to 1-4, it has been a slower start out of the gate than last year’s inaugural campaign, where the Rams amassed three wins through their first five games.
URI has suffered some close defeats this season, falling 9-8 in overtime on Feb. 10 to the University of New Hampshire and 12-9 on Feb. 18 to Stonehill College.
As the Rams continue building their identity in their second season of Division I women’s lacrosse, Rhody will travel to take on Merrimack College on Saturday at noon.
