Bulldogs and No. 6 Yale face off Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Bryant Track and Turf Complex

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Winners of back-to-back road contests, the Bryant University men's lacrosse team returns to Smithfield for the first time in a month to host No. 6 Yale on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

This weekend's opponent will be the highest-ranked team that the Bulldogs have faced in Smithfield in their Division I history.

"This is the biggest game we have played and the highest-ranked team we have faced on this campus since I joined the program," said Bryant head coach Mike Pressler. "We will need our fans to pack the stands and create a true home field advantage for us against an opponent of this stature."

Yale (2-0), the preseason favorites in a dominant Ivy League field, has impressed thus far, first scorching UMass Lowell in a 17-7 win on Feb. 20 and, most recently, limiting then-No. 5 Maryland to just five goals in an 8-5 triumph.

"Looking at our schedule, this is the toughest opponent we will play all year," said Pressler. "Yale is extremely well coached, they have been for years, and they proved just how well-coached and talented they are by defeating a top-five Maryland team last week."

The Bulldogs' (3-1) offense has erupted in their last seven periods, outscoring the likes of Providence and Hartford, 27-16, over that stretch. Junior attack Tucker James (Essex Fells, N.J.) has paced the squad with 10 points over the last two games, including a breakout eight-point effort against Hartford on Feb. 27. Senior Shane Morrell (Glen Mills, Pa.) has netted seven goals over the last two contest, and Collins Gantz (Denver, Colo.) fired in four scores against Hartford.

"We made a commitment in the fall to be much more aggressive from defense to offense, which has made us a better transition team this year," said Pressler. "Our objective each game is to score in double-digits, and the outcomes show that we are most successful when we score at least 10 goals." 

Since joining the Division I ranks, the Bulldogs have played Yale five times, including in each of the last two seasons. Bryant defeated the Elis in the schools' first matchup in 2010, 9-7, but has not been able to hurdle top Yale in the last four encounters.

"There is not a weak spot in Yale's lineup," said Pressler. "They are so well balanced and like any good team, they play the same style year in and year out."   

Morrell has paced Bryant with eight-career points against Yale (6g, 2a), while Gantz and James have charted three goals apiece. Sophomore Cam Ziegler (Carlsbad, Calif.) tallied two assists and a score in last year's contest.

But the Black and Gold offense will have its hands full on Saturday against one of the nation's top defensive units, a group that is allowing six goals per contest through two games (fourth in the country). Yale has also registered 10 caused turnovers per game, which ranks fourth among DI programs.

"Their defense versus our offense is going to be the matchup of the day," said Pressler. "Can we continue to do what has worked so well for us this season against one of the nation's top defenses? If the answer is yes, then we will put ourselves in a great position."

That strong defense is a veteran bunch led by preseason All-American and senior Michael Quinn, the eighth pick in the 2016 MLL Draft. Quinn (37 ground balls, 19 caused turnovers in 2015) is aided by junior defenseman Christopher Keating, who leads the team with five caused turnovers and three ground balls. As a squad, Yale has allowed just 23 shot attempts in its two wins, making the job of sophomore goalie Phil Huffard that much easier. Huffard has made seven saves in two starts and leads the country with a 4.00 goals against average.

This weekend's visitors feature a well-rounded attack as well, with 12 different players tallying goals through the first two games of the year. Sophomore Ben Reeves has netted six scores while handing out four helpers thus far to lead the team. Yale was able to drive 15 shots past senior netminder Gunnar Waldt (Feeland, Md.) in last year's contest, including hat tricks from Reeves, Jeff Cimbalista and Eric Scott. Waldt enters this year's outing looking strong in the early season, boasting an 8.7 goals against average to sit second in the NEC and a 58.0 saves percentage to rank 13th at the DI circuit.  

"The key for us defensively will be keeping them off balance," said Pressler. "Saturday will be a chess match in every sense of the word."   

At the faceoff X, Yale has used three different specialists this season, as Johnathan Reese (12-24) and Conor Mackie (8-17) have shared responsibilities. As a unit, Yale is performing at a .477 clip at the X. Sophomore Kenny Massa (Huntington, N.Y.) has handled 100 faceoffs through four games and is converting at a 57.0 percent clip to rank third in the NEC. Massa is also snaring seven grounds balls per contest to sit ninth in the nation.

"Kenny has to get us started and win us possessions, but our wings need to be very supportive of him as well," said Pressler. "It is not just one man at the X, our wings need to do their jobs against an opponent like Yale, which will allow Kenny to perform to the best of his ability."         

Saturday's tilt kicks off a three-game homestand in which the Bulldogs play a pair of top-15 Ivy League opponents, matching up with No. 12 Harvard on March 8 before facing Drexel for the sixth-straight season.

"This game against Yale is the start of a tremendous stretch for us against two nationally ranked teams and a strong Drexel program," said Pressler. "These next three home games over the course of the coming week will be a great challenge and opportunity for us."  

Saturday's battle can be seen live on NECFrontRow.com, and the action can be followed along via livestats at bryantbulldogs.com.