GENEVA, N.Y.—Senior attackman Alex Love scored with 1:44 remaining in overtime to lift the Hobart College lacrosse team to a 7-6 Northeast Conference victory over Bryant University on Boswell Field at the Caird Center for Sports and Recreation this afternoon.
 
The Statesmen took full advantage of five extra-man opportunities, scoring four extra-man goals. Love's game winner came on a delayed penalty that would have been the Bulldogs' seventh of the day. With the flag down in OT, Love got the ball on the right side of the cage and got an inside line on his man. No slide arrived in time and Love was able to beat junior goalie Gunnar Waldt to complete his second hat trick of the season.
 
"I shot the ball low, which we were preaching all game not to, but luckily it went in," Love said.
 
Hobart (4-3, 1-0 NEC) improved to 13-30 all-time in overtime games, but picked up its fourth OT victory in its past five OT games dating back to the 2013 season.
 
The Statesmen had a 34-32 edge in shots. For the second game in a row, the Hobart defense limited the opposition to a season-low 16 shots on goal. Sophomore Jackson Brown earned the win in the cage, making 10 saves. Waldt recorded 12 stops.
 
Bryant (1-6, 0-1) won nine of 16 faceoffs behind senior All-American Kevin Massa (12th in the nation in FO%), who also had a game-high six ground balls, but Hobart countered with a solid performance from first-year J. Andrew Spallanzani, who won 7-of-16 for the Statesmen. Junior attackman Frank Brown collected a team-high four ground balls for Hobart.
 
The Statesmen had a slim edge in turnovers, committing just 10 to the Bulldogs' 11. Hobart sophomore Arik Andreen logged a game-high three caused turnovers.
 
Defense was the theme in the first half. Hobart posted the only goal of the first quarter, Love's 10th of the year. The unassisted tally raised his career point total to 143, tying Nate Hill '05 for second among Division I Statesmen. The Hobart defense looked unbeatable through the first 24 minutes of the contest, but the Bulldogs rattled off three goals in under two minutes to carry a 3-1 lead into halftime. Sophomore attackman Tucker James logged a goal and an assist in the outburst.
 
The third quarter belonged to Hobart's extra-man unit. Love netted an extra-man goal off an assist from sophomore Sean Donnelly early in the frame, taking sole possession of second place from Hill. Senior Brendan Saylor scored an unassisted, extra-man goal in the middle of the quarter, and then struck again with the man advantage late in the quarter thanks to an assist from senior Taylor Vanderbeek to give Hobart a 4-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Bryant first-year Kenny Massa tied the game with the first goal of the fourth, but sophomore Max Romm restored Hobart's one-goal advantage less than a minute later.
 
The Statesmen netted their fourth extra-man goal at the 9:43 mark of the fourth quarter when Donnelly set up junior Frank Brown.
 
The Bulldogs got back-to-back goals to tie the game with just under six minutes to play in regulation. Both Brown and Waldt were called on to make one save in the waning minutes of regulation, necessitating extra time.
 
Kevin Massa won the opening faceoff of OT, but Jackson Brown saved the Bulldogs' only shot and started a Hobart clear that led to Love's game winner.
 
The Statesmen are now 2-3 all-time against Bryant. Both wins over the Bulldogs have been one-goal games on Boswell Field.
 
In addition to James, first-year attackman Cam Ziegler also finished with one goal and one assist for Bryant.
 
Hobart will be back in action when they travel to NEC foe Robert Morris on Saturday, March 28. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Moon Township, Pennsylvania.