Men's soccer treks to Buffalo for a pair

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – After splitting a pair of matches over opening weekend, the Bryant University men's soccer team hits the road for contests at Buffalo on Friday (7 p.m.) and at Canisius on Sunday (1 p.m.).

On Friday, the Bulldogs dropped a hard-fought battle against a very talented Providence squad, 2-0, despite arguably outplaying the Friars for the latter part of the match. However, the Black and Gold bounced back with a convincing 2-0 shutout at New Hampshire on Sunday thanks to markers from junior Brett Larocque (Ottawa, Ont.) and freshman Thomas Binder (Vienna, Austria).

Sophomore goalkeeper Chris Knaub (Yarmouth, Maine) has allowed just two goals in two games and currently ranks fourth in the Northeast Conference in goals against average (1.0) and save percentage (.818).

Friday, the Black and Gold will make the long trek to Buffalo, N.Y. for a showdown with the Bulls, who enter the match still in search of their first victory of the year. Buffalo spent opening weekend in California, suffering losses at San Diego, 4-1, on Aug. 29, and at San Diego St., 1-0, on Sunday. Sophomore midfielder Braden Culver has scored the lone goal for the Bulls and Cameron Hogg and Waleed Cassis have split time in net through two games.

On Sunday, Bryant will take a short trip down the road to Canisius for an afternoon tilt with the Golden Griffins who are also in search of their first win of the season. After dropping a 2-0 decision to Butler on Aug. 29, the Griffs fell to UC Davis, 2-1, on Sunday. Senior forward Asani Samuels scored the lone Canisius goal in Sunday's match, while junior Andrew Coughlin has started both games in net thus far.

For links to streaming video and live stats of this weekend's action and all the latest news on the Bryant University men's soccer team, visit BryantBulldogs.com.