BALTIMORE – Junior attackman Ryan Demato scored three goals, and redshirt senior goalie Connor McMahon matched his career high with 14 saves to lead the UMBC men's lacrosse team to a 12-11 America East Conference win against the Bryant Bulldogs on Saturday at chilly UMBC Stadium.
 
Demato, who added an assist, has scored at least three goals in three straight games and four times this season. McMahon (three ground balls) has made double-digit saves in five games. Senior Alex Steers went 15 for 25 on face-offs and scooped a team-high six ground balls.
 
The Bulldogs jumped ahead 1-0 with a man-up goal by Dawson Reilly from Luca Elmaleh at 9:19. UMBC (2-6, 1-2 AE) quickly shifted momentum by scoring three straight goals to lead 3-1 by the end of the first quarter. The run began when Demato scored in transition after a Bryant turnover, receiving a pass from senior defender Casey Pung at 6:38. Sophomore midfielder Jameson Coffman then delivered a powerful shot from Corey Myers' assist at 4:06, and freshman Jack Fish capped the surge by racing in for an unassisted goal with 3:23 left.


 
Bryant (3-5, 1-2 AE) scored twice in the last 1:09 to tie the game after one. Caden Lennon flicked in an underhanded goal that trickled over the line after McMahon deflected the attempt. John Tomsheck tied it with 4.1 seconds left, muscling past a Retriever defender.
 
The Bulldogs extended their run early in the second as Zac Amend gave them a 4-3 lead with an unassisted goal at 12:21. UMBC answered with two quick scores. Sophomore attackman Nathan Ward fired in a shot from the right off a pass from senior linemate Connor Chick with 9:02 left. UMBC took a 5-4 lead a minute later after a turnover as Demato scored on a feed from Coffman. Bryant tied it at 5-5 on Amend's goal with 4:37 left, but Demato restored UMBC's lead with a bouncer past Bulldogs goalie James Carr (10 saves) at 1:26. Demato has opened the last three games with hat tricks in the first half.
 
Amend tied the game for the last time with an unassisted goal 34 seconds into the third. Sophomore midfielder Gavin Batelka put UMBC ahead on a turnover with 13:42 left. Sophomore midfielder Xander Maxwell gave the Dawgs a two-goal lead with an unassisted goal at 7:21. Coffman made it 9-6 two minutes later from Demato's assist behind the cage. Bryant stopped the run with a man-up goal by Dawson Reilly at 1:31 to cut it to 9-7.
 
In the fourth quarter, Amend's early goal cut UMBC's lead to 9-8, putting pressure on the hosts. Junior attacker Jake Kucinski then made it 10-8 after a helper from Chick at the 7:18 mark. With the score at 10-9 after another tally by Tomsheck, Maxwell's unassisted effort gave UMBC critical breathing room. With Bryant closing the gap to 11-10 after Reilly's tally, the Bulldogs had a chance to tie late, but an unforced turnover with just over a minute left proved costly. UMBC's Dante Marinello capitalized, scoring with 53 seconds remaining to make it 12-10. Bryant answered with a quick goal from Owen West at 0:40 and won the ensuing face-off, but Pung (five ground balls) forced a crucial turnover to secure the dramatic win for UMBC in the final seconds.
 
 UMBC travels to UMass Lowell next Saturday afternoon.