Bryant returns home to host Wagner Saturday
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's lacrosse team returns home to host Wagner Saturday in the Bulldogs' fourth of six Northeast Conference regular season games. Bryant enters Saturday's contest on a three-game winning streak and atop the NEC standings at 3-0.
THE PARTICULARS
Opponent: Wagner
Game Time: Saturday, April 7 – 1 p.m.
Tickets: BryantBulldogs.com
Watch Live: NEC Front Row
Live Stats: BryantBulldogs.com
SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS
Wagner is 4-6 and 0-2 in the NEC after dropping a 12-7 decision to Saint Joseph's last Saturday at Hameline Field. The Seahawks had put together back-to-back wins prior to the Saint Joseph's game with victories over Hampton and NJIT.
John Norton has scored a team-high 16 goals for Wagner this season, while Andrew Streilein has added 15 goals and 10 assists for a team-best 25 points. Andrew Park ranks fifth nationally with 2.40 caused turnovers per game. The Seahawks as a team rank seventh nationally with 9.20 caused turnovers per game.
THE SERIES
Bryant and Wagner are meeting for the 10th time with the Bulldogs holding a 9-0 advantage. The Black and Gold have held Wagner to nine total goals in the last three matchups between the teams.
The Bulldogs picked up an 8-1 win last season on Staten Island, as Bryant held Wagner off the scoreboard for the final 46 minutes of the contest. Graduate student Chas South (Ridgefield, Conn.) recorded four ground balls and three caused turnovers, while Anthony Johnson (Fairfield, Conn.) notched two ground balls and four caused turnovers.
LAST TIME OUT: BRYANT 10, NO. 13 ROBERT MORRIS 7
Bryant scored seven of the final nine goals in the contest to pick up its first win of the year over a nationally ranked opponent, as the Bulldogs downed No. 13 Robert Morris, 10-7, Friday night in Moon Township. Redshirt-sophomore Jake Buonaiuto (Miller Place, N.Y.) scored two goals and added an assist.
#GOALS
Bryant's 46 goals over its last three games are the most in a three-game stretch since the Black and Gold tallied 54 from Feb. 22-28, 2009. Bryant scored 20 in the March 17 season opener against Mount St. Mary's 16 at Sacred Heart March 24 and 10 Friday night at Robert Morris.
TRIO RISING IN PROGRAM RECORD BOOK
Senior Cam Ziegler's (Carlsbad, Calif.) 79 career goals and 124 career points are both three shy of 10th in program history. Dan Sipperly scored 82 goals from 2011-14, while Max Weisenberg tallied 127 points from 2009-12.
Graduate student Chas South and senior Anthony Johnson are both into the top 10 in program history in caused turnovers, with South fifth at 63 and Johnson tied for seventh at 53.
BEIMFOHR STANDING TALL IN NEC PLAY
Junior Kevin Beimfohr (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) posted his top two performances as a Bulldog in Bryant's first two NEC games. Beimfohr corralled 12 saves in the March 17 win over Mount St. Mary's before a career-best 15-save performance March 24 at Sacred Heart. The junior from New Jersey recorded a .682 save percentage in the win over the Pioneers and held SHU off the board for the entirety of the second half.
Beimfohr held No. 13 Robert Morris to seven goals, tying a season-low, and made eight saves in Friday's win in Moon Township to earn NEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors.
FAST START TO NEC PLAY FOR O'ROURKE
Freshman Marc O'Rourke (Hingham, Mass.) has scored 12 goals in his first three NEC contests, including a total of 11 in the first two conference games against Mount St. Mary's and Sacred Heart. O'Rourke's 11 goals in a two-game stretch were the most by a Bulldog since Zack Greer in 2009. The freshman leads Bryant with 23 goals on the season.
O'Rourke has earned three NEC Rookie of the Week honors, two NEC Player of the Week awards and a USILA Team of the Week accolade during his freshman campaign.
BULLDOGS AMONG NEW ENGLAND'S BEST
Bryant has won 102 games since joining Division I in 2009 - the highest total of the 15 Division I lacrosse programs in the six New England states. The Bulldogs' .604 winning percentage over those 10 seasons ranks third in New England behind Yale (.685) and Brown (.619).
356 AND COUNTING
Head coach Mike Pressler ranks sixth among active NCAA coaches in all divisions with 356 career victories. Of those 356, 127 have come while leading the Bulldogs since 2007.
CONFERENCE CALL
Bryant has a 36-10 record in NEC games since the conference began sponsoring men's lacrosse in 2010. The 36 wins are the most by any conference team - nine more than Robert Morris - and the .783 winning percentage is the best of the five teams that have been NEC members since the conference's formation.
NEXT UP: SAINT JOSEPH'S
Bryant travels to Philadelphia for an NEC game next Saturday at Saint Joseph's. The 1 p.m. game between the Bulldogs and Hawks can be seen on NEC Front Row.
Bryant University Athletics has announced the Spring Sports Pass for the upcoming spring season. The Spring Sports Pass allows admission to all home men's and women's lacrosse, baseball and softball events for just $50. The Spring Sports Pass can be purchased by clicking HERE.
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