Bazzano, Bourassa Lift Lacrosse Over Newbury, 9-8

MEDFORD, Mass. – Senior Danielle Bazzano (South Windsor, Conn.) lifted the University of Saint Joseph to a 9-8 road victory over Newbury College in a back-and-forth non-conference women's lacrosse match on Thursday afternoon at Hormel Stadium. Bazzano scored four goals in the game, including the game-winner late in the second half, and senior goalkeeper Emily Bourassa (Bristol, Conn.) made a huge free position save in the final minutes to give the Blue Jays their third win of the season.

THE BASICS

Score: University of Saint Joseph - 9, Newbury College - 8
Records: USJ (3-8), NC (2-8)
Location: Medford, Mass. - Hormel Stadium
Date: Thursday, April 19, 2018

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Blue Jays got off to a quick start striking 49 seconds into the match on the first goal of the game and fourth of the season from Bazzano off a feed from sophomore Charlotte Eberhardt (Thomaston, Conn.) to jump out to an early 1-0 lead.

Newbury would answer right back with a pair of goals to take its first lead of the game, 2-1, before junior Annmarie Masayda (Watertown, Conn.) found the back of the net for the equalizer with 14:06 on the clock in the first half and make it 2-2.

A goal from freshman Sarah Hernandez (Northbridge, Mass.) temporarily gave the Nighthawks back the lead, until Bazzano and Eberhardt linked up once again to tie things back up, 3-3, with 8:41 left to play before the break.

The Blue Jays would reclaim the lead, 4-3, on the first career goal by freshman Abigail Horner (Niantic, Conn.) four minutes later before Masayda netted the third straight USJ goal and her second of the game to push the lead to 5-3. However, Newbury would get a clutch goal from freshman Sophia Kiasi (Yorba Linda, Calif.) with 19 seconds before halftime to make it 5-4 heading into the intermission.

USJ opened the second half strong with back-to-back goals to take its largest lead of the game, 7-4. Eberhardt accounted for the first goal, her 16th of the season, and Horner posted her second goal of the game via an assist from Masayda to build the advantage.

The Nighthawks came storming back with three straight goals from Kiasi to knot the game at 7-7 with 16 minutes left to play in regulation, but the Blue Jays responded and Bazzano netted what would be the game-winner off a feed from Eberhardt with 11:44 left to play to secure the road victory.

Eberhardt found Bazzano once again four minutes later for Eberhardt's fourth assist of the game and Bazzano's fourth goal of the game to provide a huge insurance goal and make it 9-7. Kiasi and the Nighthawks made it 9-8 after her fourth goal of the half and fifth of the game with just over six minutes left to play and then had a free position attempt and shot that was saved by Bourassa with 1:26 left to preserve the USJ win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Bazzano led the USJ offensive charge with four goals and put all six of her shots on the cage. She also picked up a pair of ground balls in the win.
• Kiasi finished with a game-high seven points for Newbury coming on five goals and two assists.
• Eberhardt filled the stat sheet for the Blue Jays finishing with a goal, four assists, five ground balls, four draw controls and a caused turnover.
• Masayda also had a well-balanced game posting two goals, an assist, four ground balls, two draw controls and five caused turnovers.
• The Nighthawks held a slight advantage in shots, 28-23, including a 21-20 edge in shots on goal.
• USJ won the ground ball battle picking up 24 compared to Newbury's 14.
• Bourassa finished with 13 saves between the pipes for the Blue Jays to record the victory and improve to 3-8 on the season.
• Sophomore Keely Molloy (Staten Island, N.Y.) was dealt the loss in goal for the Nighthawks to fall to 2-8. She made 11 saves.

UP NEXT

The USJ women's lacrosse team will return to the field next for its final home game of the 2018 season and Senior Day on Saturday against GNAC foe Lasell. Opening draw is slated for 2:30 p.m. on the USJ Lacrosse Field.