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Smithfield, RI – The Bryant Bulldogs are Northeast Conference Men’s Lacrosse Champions again! Senior Peter McMahon (Wilton, CT/Wilton) and junior Colin Dunster (Cos Cob, CT/Greenwich) combined for five goals and 10 points, and NEC Player of the Year Kevin Massa (Huntington, NY/Elwood John Glenn) won 21 of 25 faceoffs as the Bulldogs defeated Robert Morris 14-7 for their second straight title on Saturday afternoon in Smithfield, RI.
 
Bryant, which improved to 8-10 overall, will now advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. Additionally, it marks the first NCAA appearance by a Bryant team at the Division I level. Robert Morris, meanwhile, ends its season at 8-7.
 
McMahon, who was named the Tournament’s Most Valuable Player, scored three goals and handed out one assist in the title game, giving him 10 points for the tournament. Dunster dished out four assists and totaled six points, and Massa capped off his afternoon with 20 ground balls.
 
Hosting their first NEC Tournament, Bryant gave its large home contingent a sight to see early on, jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the first quarter and holding a 6-2 advantage heading into halftime.
 
Junior Bo Redpath (Norwich, CT/Taft School) started the run with a goal at the 11:09 mark, followed by a strike from Dan Sipperly (Greenwich, NY/Christian Brothers Academy) just nine seconds later. NEC Rookie of the Year Shane Morrell (Glen Mills, PA/Episcopal Academy) then stretched the lead to 3-0 at 8:39, and McMahon capped the quarter with his first with 6:20 to play.
 
Robert Morris cut into the lead with back-to-back markers as Connor Martin (Maumee, OH/St. John’s Jesuit) and Dave Morton (Orangeville, Ontario/The Hill School) struck three minutes apart. Bryant, however, answered back with two of its own, with Alex Zomerfeld (Port Jefferson, NY/Comsewogue) connecting at 3:32 and Charles Everett (West Tisbury, MA/Martha’s Vineyard) striking on a great alley-oop play at 2:00.
 
Martin led Robert Morris with two goals, his second of which started a 4-1 run in the third that made it a 7-6 game heading into the finale. The Maumee, OH native struck just 14 seconds in while Jacob Ruest (Cornwall, Ontario/The Hill Academy), Taylor Graves (Carlsbad, CA/Carlsbad) and James Rahe (Aldergrove, British Columbia/W.J. Mouat) followed suit.
 
Both teams traded goals to open the fourth before Bryant took control. The Bulldogs clamped down on defense and benefited from Massa’s faceoff expertise, taking possession and tacking on to their lead with six straight goals, including two with the goalkeeper out of the cage in the final three minutes.
 
Overall, Bryant outshot Robert Morris 44-25, including 13-1 in the first quarter. The Bulldogs also held a 59-26 advantage in ground balls and converted 2 of 6 man-up opportunities.
 
Redshirt freshman Gunnar Waldt (Freeland, MD/St. Paul’s School) earned the win for the Bulldogs, stopping 11 shots. Robert Morris’ Charles Ruppert (Long Island, NY/Massapequa) recorded 12 saves in the loss.
 
Bryant will learn its NCAA Tournament destination on Sunday, May 5, when the selections are announced live at 9:00 pm on ESPNU.