Sacred Heart, Northeastern up next for Bulldogs

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – After notching its first Northeast Conference win over the weekend, the Bryant University field hockey team resumes conference play when the Bulldogs hit the road for Sacred Heart for a Friday night showdown. The Bulldogs then take a break from NEC action as they meet with Northeastern on Sunday afternoon. 

THE PARTICULARS
Opponent: Sacred Heart
Date: Friday, Oct. 18
Game Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Johnson Field (New Haven, Conn.)
Live Stats: Presto Stats

SERIES HISTORY

• The two teams have met seven times in program history and the Pioneers hold the record, 6-1, after topping Bryant, 2-1, one year ago.  

A BIT ABOUT THE PIONEERS

• Sacred Heart posts a 2-11 overall record with a 1-1 mark in conference action. Most recently, the Pioneers downed Merrimack, 4-0, on Sunday.
• Senior back Bridget Kelly ranks first in the country with 11 defensive saves on the season.
• Colleen McAninley and Bridget LaRiccia lead the Pioneers with three goals apiece accounting for six of Sacred Heart's 15 goals this season. McAninley proves to be a strong offensive threat tallying 42 shots with 21 on goal.
• Hailey Power is the primary goalkeeper for the Pioneers notching 12 starts. The junior stopped 125 so far this season for a save percentage of .772 and a goals-against-average of 3.07. Power takes the top spot in the NEC for most saves per game with 9.62.
• Sydney Van Der Merwe leads Sacred Heart in his fourth season as head coach.

THE PARTICULARS
Opponent: Northeastern
Date: Sunday, Oct.
Game Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Dedham Field (Dedham, Mass.)
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Live Stream: Howlin' Huskies Production

SERIES HISTORY

• Bryant has met with Northeastern for a total of two times in program history as the Huskies hold the series record, 2-0.
• Last season, the Huskies blanked the Bulldogs, 3-0.

A BIT ABOUT THE HUSKIES

• Northeastern is 7-5 overall, and 1-1 in Colonial Athletic Association play after notching its first conference win over Towson, 2-1.
• The Huskies are a strong offensive force ranking third in the country with 3.58 goals per game and a 3.57 scoring average. The team is led by Lauren Rowe with 13 goals. Rowe leads the CAA and ranks sixth in the country with 1.08 goals per game.
• Junior Julia Gluyas played and started in 11 games in the cage for the Huskies notching 55 saves for a .640 save percentage and a 2.96 goals-against-average.
• Shelly Morris leads the Huskies in her first year as head coach after serving as the associate head coach for three years.  

BULLDOGS NOTES AND NOTABLES

• Three Bulldogs tallied their first goals of the season over the weekend including Ally Burdick (Cambridge, N.Y.), Kylie Nelson (Belfast, Maine), and Meghan Robinson (Haddon Heights, N.J.). Robinson's goal was also the first of her career.
• Bryant picked up its first conference win on Sunday with a 4-0 shutout victory over Wagner. Taryn Rauff (Johannesburg, South Africa), Budick, Nelson, and Robinson all contributed goals while Clare Luttrell (Freehold, N.J.), Freya Ward (Sussex, England), and Eva Bazen (The Hague, Netherlands) tallied assists.
• Rauff currently leads the Black and Gold with four goals.
• The four goals mark the most goals that the Bulldogs have scored in a single game so far this season. The last time Bryant posted at least four goals in a single game was in 2016 when the Bulldogs topped LIU Brooklyn, 6-0.
• Junior Aisling Madden (Leeds, Yorkshire, England) netted a goal against No. 23 Fairfield on Friday for her second goal of the season. Madden leads the Bulldogs with 33 shots putting 13 on target.
• Sophomore goalkeeper Marijn Jaarsma (Uithoorn, Netherlands) earned NEC Defensive Player of the Week honors after stopping seven on the weekend and keeping the Seahawks off the board. The Netherlands native ranks fourth in the conference with 5.50 saves per game and a 2.27 goals-against-average.