Bryant University shocked the lacrosse world Sunday, knocking off national powerhouse Syracuse 10-9 at the Carrier Dome in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
It was just the second tournament win in program history for the Bulldogs, with the first — a victory over Siena in a play-in game — coming just last week.
“There are so many layers to this win,” Bryant head coach Mike Pressler said after Sunday’s game, via NCAA.com. “Not only was it Syracuse at Syracuse — one of the most storied programs in Division I history — but we did it after playing a play-in game on Wednesday. To beat Syracuse at the Carrier Dome on four short days is a monumental win for our program.”
Freshman attack Tucker James netted a game-high four goals and added two assists for Bryant, which earned a tourney bid by winning the Northeast Conference, and Bulldogs goalie Gunnar Waldt finished with 13 saves, including one to rob Syracuse’s Dylan Donahue in the game’s final seconds.
Bryant’s win, which came one year after the Bulldogs were bounced by the Orange in the first round, was one of three major upsets to take place this weekend. Three of the tournament’s top four seeds were sent packing, as Drexel also knocked off No. 4 Penn and Albany routed No. 3 Loyola (Md.).
The Bulldogs now advance to the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time in school history. They’ll take on the No. 7 Maryland Terrapins in College Park on Saturday.
