Bulldogs and No. 2/3 Bears battle for the Ocean State Cup, Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Providence

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's lacrosse team faces its final non-conference opponent and arguably toughest challenge of the regular season when it takes on No. 2/3 Brown on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.  

"I've coached and played against Brown for a number of years going long before I came to Bryant," said Bryant head coach Mike Pressler. "This is by far the best Brown team that I have ever seen and that we have ever seen."

The Bulldogs (5-3, 1-0 NEC) returned to action after a three-week hiatus and defeated conference foe Robert Morris, 13-12, on the road on Saturday. Senior attack Shane Morrell (Glen Mills, Pa.) and junior attackman Tucker James (Essex Fells, N.J.) paced the Bulldogs in the win with six points on four scores and two assists and five points on four goals and an assist, respectively.

Morrell has had great success against the Bears (8-0, 2-0 Ivy League) in his career with 10 goals and three assists in three matchups. Senior netminder Gunnar Waldt (Freeland, Md.)  has also been stout between the pipes against Brown, tallying 37 saves and 30 goals allowed, but he finds himself 0-3 as Bryant has dropped the last three matchups with its intrastate rival. Despite losing the last three matchups to Brown that holds a 5-2 edge in the series, each of the last six meetings between both programs have been decided by two goals or fewer. Bryant was one of just two teams to hold Brown to under 10 goals during the 2015 regular season.  

"Our games have been highly competitive, most being one-two goal games that can go either way," said Pressler. "But this is a really special team we're facing and we'll be fortunate to be in a one-goal situation tomorrow if we don't play as well as we've played all year."

The 2016 edition of the Bears is one of the best to ever be assembled. They hold the top scoring offense in the nation at 17.75 goals per game, while also leading the country in assists per game (11.75), ground balls per game (39.88), points per game (29.50), shot percentage (39.1) and scoring margin (+9.38).

"Brown is a senior-laden group on offense, they face off very well and have terrific goal tending," said Pressler. "This is as well-balanced of a Brown team as I've seen with a lot of different areas that can hurt you."  

That experienced group on offense features a ton of talent, as four of the top five scorers are seniors. But it is junior attack Dylan Molloy who leads the team and nation with 6.68 points per game on 3.13 goals per game (6th nationally) and a Division I leading 3.25 assists per game. Molloy has not lost a step following a school-record setting season in 2015, as he netted a program-best 62 goals and totaled 92 points, earning him Ivy League and New England Player of the Year honors.

Molloy is amalgamated by a trio of senior attackmen in Kylor Bellistri, Henry Blynn and Bailey Tills, who all add to the gaudy offensive numbers. Bellistri has been the beneficiary of Molloy's helpers with a 3.50 goals per game clip to lead the nation while adding 11 assists. Blynn has registered 32 points on 22 scores and 10 assists and Tills has tallied 21 points on 11 goals and 10 helpers.

"We need to mix things up defensively against this offense and can't give them a steady diet," said Pressler. "If we make them think more about what they're doing as opposed to what we're doing, we can be successful."  

With the offensive fire power, the Brown defensive unit has gone somewhat unnoticed and is not asked to shut down opponents on a consistent basis, but it is by no means a weak spot. The veteran presence extends from the frontline to the crease, as senior goalie and All-American Jack Kelly leads the country in saves percentage (61.9), sits 11th nationally with a 7.84 goals-against average and 16th among DI schools with 10.75 saves per game.

"For us to be successful against their goalie and defense, the cliché holds true, it will need to be a great team effort," said Pressler. "We need balance in every spot, because if we don't then that spot will be exposed."

"Our offense has to help our defense and we can't play defense the entire night," said Pressler. "We need to be possession conscious on offense and take care of the ball."

The defense in front of Kelly is not as seasoned with five sophomores, one freshmen, a senior and a junior, but it is the play of long-stick midfielder and junior Larken Kemp that solidifies the defensive unit. Kemp, an All-American himself, ranked fourth in the country in caused turnovers last year, and he continues to lead the group with 17 caused turnovers in 2016. The lone junior, Alec Tulett, led the Bears and ranked 24th nationally with 83 ground balls in 2015.

Another sign of how the offense aids the defense is the amount of shots opponent's fire because the Bears score at such a high rate. Brown has surrendered 286 shots to opposing teams, but only 141 of those shots have been on target.

"We have to generate quality shots and those shots have to be on goal 60% or more to have a chance," said Pressler. "Last year against Brown, we missed the cage way too many times and it hurt us."

The big matchup of the day will once again be at the X, as Brown has won 67 percent of its faceoffs thanks to senior specialist Will Gural, converting 71 percent of his opportunities. Sophomore Kenny Massa (Huntington, N.Y.) has won 52 percent of his opportunities at the X, and was key the last time the Bulldogs faced an Ivy League school, going 15-for-25 against then- No. 8/7 Harvard. Massa and Gural are in a dead heat at 10th nationally with 6.75 ground balls per contest.

"It all starts with the ability to win the faceoff," said Pressler. "Kenny has to do his thing, but our wings have to support him more than they have all year in this matchup."

Tuesday's contest marks the final non-conference game of the regular season and the third top-10 opponent from the Ivy League that the Bulldogs will face, having hosted now-No. 1/3 Yale and then No.8/7 Harvard in early March. Thanks to that stretch, Bryant now has the 15th-best RPI at the DI ranks according to NCAA.com.

"This is a great opportunity for us to try to defend a team averaging close to 18 goals a game and winning the faceoff battle against a team at over 65 percent on the year," said Pressler. "If we can get to 10 goals, we'll be right in the game."  

Tuesday night's battle for the Ocean State Cup can be seen on IvyLeagueDigitalNetwork.com and can be followed along via livestats on BrownBears.com.