Bryant opens NEC play, hosts Hobart Saturday at 1p

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The No. 15 Bryant University men's lacrosse team takes a break from non-conference action and opens up Northeast Conference play at home Saturday afternoon, welcoming new league member Hobart College to the Bryant Turf Complex at 1:00 p.m.

The Statesmen (2-5) come to Smithfield looking to snap a three-game Bulldog (5-2) winning streak that includes victories over a pair of nationally ranked opponents and also look to start a winning streak of their own, having come away with a pair of victories last week.

"Hobart has a lot of momentum with two wins in a row under their belts, including beating Robert Morris last Saturday, which is always a tough out in our league," said Bryant head coach Mike Pressler. "We are going to have to play a complete game to be successful this Saturday."

The Statesmen's consecutive victories started with an 11-10 overtime win on the road at Canisius Tuesday, and Hobart followed up its first win of the year with a home victory over the Colonials in the program's NEC debut, 8-6.

"We knew when Hobart joined the NEC this past summer as one of our new associate members that this game would begin a new and very exciting rivalry," said Pressler. "We are all well aware of Hobart's great tradition in men's lacrosse, and they certainly add great value to our conference."

Hobart is led by top point getter Cam Stone (5 goals, 10 assists) and leading goal scorer Jake McHenry (14 goals), while three others contribute double-figure points in Matt Opsahl (7g, 4a), Alex Love (9g, 1a) and Cooper Stefaniak (8g, 2a). Hobart also boasts strong ranks throughout the defense, led by goalie Peter Zonino, who ranks 10th in the nation in saves per game (12.29), posting a 9.97 goals against average and .548 save percentage to open the year.

But the Statesmen have been missing a key ingredient with the absence of Love over the last four games. Last season's leading scorer, Love contributed an impressive 55 points and found the back of the net 45 times as one of the nation's top scorers throughout the 2013 campaign.

"They've had some key injuries that have hurt them recently," said Pressler. "They also have a brand new coaching staff, and even after seven games, they are still trying to figure out who they are and how to do it. I know firsthand that that takes time."

The Bulldogs have been on a hot streak of their own as of late, averaging 12 goals per game while seeing a 69.4 percent success rate at the faceoff X from junior All-American Kevin Massa (Huntington, N.Y.) and a .613 save percentage from sophomore goalie Gunnar Waldt (Freeland, Md.) over their three-game winning streak. Waldt and the Bryant defense have been stellar throughout the season, allowing less than eight goals per game to propel the program up the national rankings.

Rookie attack Tucker James (Essex Fells, N.J.) has also been on fire, leading the way with 10 points (7g, 3a) over the last three games while ranking second on the team on the season as a whole (10g, 5a). Sophomore linemate Shane Morrell (Glen Mills, Pa.) is the team's points and goals leader on the season with 16 and 11, respectively ( 5 assists), while sophomore midfielder Collins Gantz (Denver, Colo.) has also come on strong, ranking third on the team with 14 points and 10 tallies.

But despite their recent successes, the Bulldogs are not taking their new NEC foe lightly. The Statesmen were chosen to finish right behind the Black and Gold in the NEC Preseason Poll and have the latest victory in the all-time series between the programs. Both of the two all-time bouts have been decided by just a single goal, with Bryant winning, 10-9, at home back in 2010 and Hobart taking a 5-4 edge in Geneva, N.Y., early in the 2011 campaign.

"We are all back down to earth after a very emotional Spring Break," said Pressler, "and we all fully understand how good this team is and the significance of this game."

The Bulldogs and the Statesmen faceoff at the Bryant Turf Complex at 1:00 p.m. Fans can follow live stats and watch Saturday's game live and free of charge at bryantbulldogs.com.