Williams' winner keeps Bryant top of the NEC standings

TEANECK, N.J. – A pair of freshman earned the Bryant University men's soccer team their second win in conference play on Friday night, as Lucas Johnstone (Holderness, N.H.) fed classmate Ben Williams (Unionville, Ontario) to set him up for the game-winning goal as the Bulldogs won their first road match of the year Friday night.

Game Information

Bryant 1, Fairleigh Dickinson 0

Records: Bryant 2-6-2 (2-0-1 NEC), Fairleigh Dickinson 3-5-3 (0-1-1 NEC)

Location: University Field | Teaneck, N.J.

Coach Purcell's Comments

"We had an outstanding performance tonight. It was just outstanding and a total team effort. We didn't get many opportunities but when we did we showed pure class and determination. It was a great effort from Matteo and then freshman Lucas [Johnstone] set up another freshman [Ben] Williams for the game-winner."

Key Moment

Johnstone took a pass from sophomore Matteo Toti (Rome, Italy) and made a nice hesitation on the left flank to get to the end line. His pass found the feet of Williams who took a touch and struck it into the bottom corner to give Bryant the lead.

Scoring Summary

84^th minute – Bryant 1, Fairleigh Dickinson 0 – The Bulldogs were able to force a turnover in the midfield that Toti was able to gain possession. He fed Johnstone and the break was on, setting up the game-winning goal.

Stats/Notes

• Bryant's win on the road is their first since the 2016 regular-season finale, a 3-1 win over Central Connecticut.
• Williams' second of the season secures the lead at the top of the team leaderboard, increasing his total to six points on the year.
• Johnstone recorded his first career point on the assist, becoming the eighth different Bulldog to record a point on the year.
• Larente's 10 saves currently sit within the top seven in Bryant history for saves in a game. He has now made 19 saves in his last two matches at Fairleigh Dickinson.
• Senior George Gill (Cork, Munster, Ireland) led the Bulldogs with three shots on the night. On the night, FDU outshot the Bulldogs 15-7.
• The corner kick margin was even, with each team taking five.

Up Next

The Bulldogs take on the defending conference tournament champions next weekend as they welcome St. Francis Brooklyn to Smithfield for a Sunday kickoff at 1 p.m. This will be the program's Bulldogs vs. Breast Cancer match, with pink shirts on sale for $10 and all proceeds going to the Gloria Gemma Cancer Resource Foundation.