Bulldogs search for first win of the season against Columbia Sunday at 1 p.m.

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – With the offense beginning to click, having scored two goals against Vermont, the Bryant University field hockey team looks to put all the pieces together when hosting Columbia at Brown's Goldberg Family Field on Sunday, September 25 at 1 p.m.

The Bulldogs' (0-8) senior Victoria Danby (Lancaster, Mass.) is coming off a season-best three-point performance against Vermont, while freshman Freya Ward (Haywards Heath, England) notched her first-career goal in the same contest. Despite the best offensive performance of the season, the Black and Gold fell to the Catamounts, 4-2, last Sunday and remain in the hunt for their first win of the season.

"This week we've really focused on our process and making sure we are performing at a high level," said head coach Shaunessy Saucier. "If we stick to our game plan each week, the wins are going to come. At this point, we would obviously like to have a better record, but we are really focused on making sure we are peaking at the right time and preparing for the MAAC."

Freshman Floor van Dommelen (Berg en Dal, Netherlands) leads the Bulldogs offensively with four points off two goals, scoring one goal against Yale and Dartmouth, respectively. Sophomore keeper Marissa Elizardo (New Wales, Pa.) has recorded 42 saves on the year and posts a 3.11 goals against average in over 600 minutes of play.

"Our goal against Columbia is to play a bit smarter in the defense and generate a strong attack offensively," said Saucier. "The speed of our midfielders and forwards is going to be a key in beating them."

The Lions enter this weekend's showdown at 3-3 with wins over Holy Cross, Central Michigan and fellow MAAC member Fairfield. Senior forward Katie Ruesterholz has been paving the way for the Lions with 17 points off seven goals and three assists. Ruesterholz has scored seven of the team's 18 goals through the first six games of the season, placing her ninth in the country in goals per game and seventh in points per game.

"We know they have speed on their forward line and in their counter attack, so we are preparing for that and working on strengthening our own counter," said Saucier.

Kendall Kuntz has recorded nearly every minute in the cage for the Lions, recording 31 saves, while posting a 3.86 goals against average.

In regards to Bryant's, 5-0, loss to Columbia last year, Saucier said, "We played them really well in the outfield last year and the majority of their scoring opportunities came off corners. Our continuous goal this season is to limit the number of corners we give up."

Columbia will warm up on the Goldberg Family field on Saturday, September 24, against Brown, before facing the Bulldogs the following day on the same turf at 1 p.m. Fans can follow all the action on live stats at bryantbulldogs.com.