Hickey scored two second half goals to spark a late comeback effort (PHOTO BY Brian Foley)

Gouws pair puts Bulldogs on top, hold back Skyhawks rally with two Hickey markers

SMITHFIELD, R.I. (September 15, 2023) – Bryant University grabbed a three-goal lead early in the third quarter and then held off a Stonehill College rally for a 4-2 triumph in a non-conference field hockey matchup at the Bryant Field Hockey Complex this afternoon.

Highlights

• Postgrad Brittany Gouws scored a pair of goals and dished out an assist to lead the Bryant offense, while fellow graduate student Emma Rothkopf contributed a goal and assist.
• Sophomore Natalie Griffin and freshman Julie Diderich each registered two assists for the Bulldogs.
• Senior All-American Raegan Hickey scored a pair of second half goals off penalty corners by classmate Claudia Crowe to spark a comeback effort for Stonehill.
• Junior Shannon Conte posted 11 saves in goal for Stonehill, while freshman Colby Lavoie finished with one stop in the Bryant cage.

How It Happened

• After a scoreless opening quarter, Bryant grabbed the lead 37-seconds into the second as Rothkopf netted her first goal of the year off a pass from Griffin.
• Gouws followed with her first of the day less than four minutes later, assisted by Rothkopf and Diderich, and then stretched the Bryant lead to three goals with her second 9:49 into the second half.
• Stonehill stormed back with a pair of Hickey goals off corner feeds by Crowe with 2:36 remaining in the third and then 4:33 into the fourth to trim the Skyhawks deficit to a goal.

• Conte made 11 saves for her third double-digit save total of the season (PHOTO BY Brian Foley)

  Stonehill pulled Conte for an extra field player in search of an equalizer, but postgrad Natalie Brown sealed it with an empty net marker, assisted by Griffin and Gouws with 52-seconds left.

Noteworthy

• Hickey's two goals give her 17 in 39 career games for Stonehill. She has scored three of the Skyhawks five goals this season.
• Crowe has nine career assists after her pair today.
• Hickey and Crowe have combined to score four of the Skyhawks five goals this season with Crowe assisting on all three of Hickey's goals and Hickey collecting the assist on Crowe's goal this fall.
• Conte registered double-digit saves for the third time this season and 13^th time in 22 career games played.

Up Next

Stonehill (0-6, 0-0 NEC) returns to action in the State of Rhode Island on Sunday, when it visits Providence College for a non-conference matchup at 1 p.m. The Skyhawks home opener is scheduled for Friday, September 29, when they host Fairfield University for a Northeast Conference matchup at W.B. Mason Stadium at 1 p.m. Bryant (4-3, 0-0 America East) visits Wake Forest University on Sunday at noon.

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