PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—The Hobart College lacrosse team fell to Bryant University 11-8 in the Northeast Conference Tournament semifinals at Sweeney Field tonight. The Statesmen end the season with a 7-7 overall record, the program's best record since 2009.
 
Hobart seniors Alex Love and Brendan Saylor led the offense. Love recorded a career-high four assists while Saylor matched his career-high with three goals. Junior Cooper Stefaniak added a pair of goals and scooped up a team-high four ground balls. Sophomore defenseman Grant Soucy caused a game-high and career-high matching three caused turnovers.
 
The Statesmen came out firing, holding a 20-13 advantage on shots in the first half. Saylor scored in the game's opening minute to give Hobart the lead. Three minutes later, Stefaniak finished a feed from Love to make it 2-0. Bryant responded with three straight goals in less than two minutes to take its first lead of the contest.
 
The Statesmen came roaring back with five consecutive goals to build a 7-3 lead. Junior Frank Brown and sophomore Sean Donnelly scored, the latter man-up, to close out the first quarter. Saylor sandwiched goals around Stefaniak's second to give Hobart a four-goal lead midway through the second quarter.
 
Bryant (7-9) started its comeback with the final two goals of the first half, making it a 7-5 game entering the break.
 
The Bulldogs made it three straight with the first goal of the second half, but senior Taylor Vanderbeek got it back for Hobart off of Love's fourth helper. It was Vanderbeek's 62nd career goal, 13th among Division I Statesmen. Love raised his career points total to 160, two shy of Daryl Veltman's Hobart Division I standard.
 
Unfortunately, the Statesmen were unable to penetrate the Bryant defense the rest of the night. The Bulldogs evened the score at 8-all midway through the third quarter and took the lead for good with 3:45 left in the penultimate frame.
 
Tucker James led the Bryant offense with three goals and two assists. Kevin Massa controlled the faceoff X. The NCAA Division I record holder for career faceoff wins was 17-of-22 with a game-high 11 ground balls. Goalie Gunnar Waldt made 10 saves.
 
Hobart sophomore goalie Jackson Brown made four saves. His seven wins this season are tied for second on Hobart's Division I season list. Brown also ranks in the top 10 in single season performances for GAA (4th, 9.31), saves per game (6th, 11.86), saves (9th, 166), and save percentage (9th, .561).